Chapter 7: Exclusive News
[Chapter 7: Exclusive News]
Back in his room, Ian opened his laptop to upload the footage he shot, then began editing.
He expertly segmented the content, adjusted the audio, eliminated any inappropriate parts, and confirmed everything was in order. Upon checking the time, he realized it was already 3 AM.
Ian picked up the phone. "Hey, Harnett, it's me, Ian Carr. We've met before, though you might not remember me... I know it's not the best time to call, but I have a breaking news story... Yes, I think it's best to handle it now; you might just make it for tomorrow... Oh, I mean today's midday report. I already sent it to your email, and you'll want to see it."
...
What's most important in news?
Speed!
Getting a story out before anyone else held immense power.
Whoever published a major scoop first earned respect and significantly impacted their standing in the industry, which often led to greater earnings--sometimes the speed of news surpassed its thoroughness.
News! News!
If it isn't new, what's the point?
There's even a saying: "Any news over four hours old is just old news!"
To get first-hand information at lightning speed, various media outlets employed numerous tactics.
Countless paparazzi and reporters worked relentlessly, always on the move in pursuit of the latest scoops.
Whether there'd been a robbery, a shootout, or an accident, people never lacked for such stories.
These news outlets needed to seize the moment, as wasting time rendered a story worthless.
As a result, lower-tier paparazzi chased news relentlessly, speeding down streets with cameras in hand, capturing everything from road shootings to chaotic events, then selling the footage to media companies.
Their determination often surpassed that of the police, with wealthy paparazzi flying in helicopters to spy on unfolding incidents, sometimes needing to borrow communication tools from officers on the ground.
In the film Die Hard, Bruce Willis gained media attention by providing exclusive reports that led to helicopter services.
High-level paparazzi focused solely on major stories.
To snag news about A-listers, these photographers sometimes spent months, even years, tailing a celebrity.
The payoff for breaking a significant story could be tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
It wasn't uncommon to employ surveillance tools such as hidden cameras and wiretaps to gather information, as evidenced by the infamous phone-hacking scandal, where Murdoch's news empire engaged in extensive monitoring of public figures, celebrities, and even ordinary officials.
Infamous paparazzi like Andy Coulson of the News of the World managed to track a subject's whereabouts meticulously, eventually determining their potential hotel and securing the room number through various means.
One notable instance involved him climbing a water tower to get a scoop, lending to the tale of "Cherish Each Step."
In short, media outlets employed methods that could easily rival those of spies -- all without firing a shot.
"An excellent media professional must possess spy-like tactics, an athlete's endurance, relentless perseverance, and a heart that can sell anything!"
This was a common public perception of journalists, which sparked backlash from many reporters who insisted paparazzi were paparazzi, while journalists were journalists -- two different worlds.
But ultimately, weren't they both delivering news?
Regardless, publishing news late at night was normal.
...
Since the Los Angeles Herald's sales were abysmal at just 4,000 copies daily, even blockbuster exclusives wouldn't boost their numbers -- there weren't enough channels.
Additionally, they couldn't utilize video, so Ian figured he had to sell the story to a TV station.
Of course, Ian divided the news into several segments, with one part fitting for a print piece exclusive to the Herald.
This strategy could create a synergistic effect: leveraging the media buzz from their peers to boost the Herald's sales.
...
Ten minutes later, Harnett called back.
Initially annoyed at being woken up, Harnett now sounded excited on the line. "Ian Carr, was this your report? You surprised me! Who are you again? A journalist with the Los Angeles Times?"
Ian chuckled, "No, Los Angeles Herald... It's okay, sir, just a small paper -- you wouldn't remember... I'm asking for a million for this news."
Harnett laughed, "No way, that's not worth that much."
"That's just part of it, Harnett. There's more coming."
"Show me."
"That's a no-go; you know the rules, but I can summarize the gist."
Ian gave him a rough overview, and Harnett gasped.
Wow, this guy really knew how to report!
He was so professional!
If what Ian said was true, the follow-ups would be even more explosive; it made sense he wanted a million.
However, Ian wasn't ready to give all the details yet, and Harnett didn't dare to confirm anything -- journalists fabricating false stories was common, but typically, only the best journalists could create convincing fabrications.
After all, they needed to avoid exposure and mitigate disastrous consequences -- poor journalists lack the finesse, even if they could make up a story, it still ended up being bad news.
In the past, America had its share of such incompetent reporters, who'd even turned their family matters into news until someone pointed out, "So, your daily life is newsworthy?"
Talk about lacking creativity!
At that moment, Harnett mused, "Have you called the cops?"
"Not yet."
"Exclusive?"
"The video is exclusive! The Herald will have a portion, mainly photos and interviews with people about their experiences. They aren't central to the story and won't impact the TV coverage; you'll have the main scoop. You know the Herald wouldn't affect you at all."
"Excellent! This part is worth fifty thousand; if the follow-up is as explosive as you say, I can offer more."
Ian thought for a second, then said, "That's a bit low, but alright, we'll go with that for now. I expect to see the money in my account by 8 AM tomorrow."
...
After hanging up, Ian dialed again, "Lloyd, it's me... You probably can't sleep now because we need to arrange a report immediately."
Ron Lloyd was the editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Herald, a good friend of Ian's father, and the only one still diligently working for the Herald.
On the phone, the old man didn't sound angry for being woken in the middle of the night; instead, he spoke with concern over the disappointment from the wayward young heir. "Have you been gambling, Ian? Garrick called yesterday to say you owe him twelve thousand bucks! I haven't told your mother yet!"
Geez!
He'd only borrowed ten grand!
Only two days in, and they were already chasing him for debts?
Ian sighed, "I sent you the drafts and the photos; check the news first, alright?"
...
Five minutes later, the editor called back, brimming with excitement. "Ian, did you really pull this off?"
"Get the arrangements in place; we'll discuss the specifics tomorrow. Don't worry, the money situation will be handled." Ian quickly stated this and hung up.
...
Looking at the clock, it was 3:30 AM.
He wouldn't get more than four hours of sleep.
Already pushing through the night since crossing over -- what a drag!
*****
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