Chapter 36: Cold-Blooded Ian Carr
[Chapter 36: Cold-Blooded Ian Carr]
The flames still flickered in the distance.
The street grew busier as Garrick's fire had been extinguished long ago. But it was too late; he had turned entirely into a charred remnant.
Ian set down his camera and picked up his video camera and microphone again. 'Damn it, doing this alone is really inconvenient. I need a good assistant!'
He pointed the microphone at the first man who tried to save Garrick. "Sir, what do you think about this incident?"
The man replied angrily, "You cold-blooded animal! You watched him burn alive!"
Ian responded, "As the first rescuer, you might become a hero throughout America."
The man paused, straightened his clothes, and faced the camera. "Hello everyone, I'm Alex Coffey, just an ordinary worker. But I believe that selflessly helping others is a responsibility every good citizen should fulfill..."
After finishing filming, Ian felt quite satisfied and decided to interview others about their views on the incident.
People argued among themselves:
"Garrick seems dead. This was quite a fortunate accident."
"How do you know it was an accident?"
"Because there were no gunshots; for a moment, I thought he was shot."
"So you don't like Garrick?"
"No one here likes him."
"What about Mr. Coffey, the rescuer?"
"He saved the wrong person."
"Damn, it doesn't matter who I saved!" said Coffey himself, needing to defend the justification of his actions.
...
In the midst of the controversy, the sound of ambulances echoed in the distance.
Even though the rescue footage held little news value, a news story needed to have a beginning and an end. Ian recorded it anyway, capturing the scene inside Garrick's house before leaving his own mark as well.
Then, he drove off, feeling satisfied.
...
The next morning, CBS News and the Los Angeles Herald jointly published the news.
As an ordinary fire-related death, it didn't seem valuable at first. What made it newsworthy was the live footage of the victim being consumed by flames, and the fact that it included an on-site interview -- most people never got to see scenes like this, let alone outside of films, where it was all fake.
Now it was real, rare, and exclusive.
This showed that good news needed to be processed, just like how the same story told by different authors can yield vastly different effects -- strong production skills can compensate for a lack of material!
In this context, the news turned into a hot topic yet again.
Another explosive headline!
The Los Angeles Herald saw sales reach new heights, and various internet platforms featured related videos and interviews as well.
...
Ian's interview with the victim of fire sparked countless discussions.
"I've never seen a colder bastard than Ian Carr. Couldn't he save someone first?"
"A reporter's ethics lie in being a faithful observer, a chronicler -- not a participant."
"He has to be a person before he's a reporter!"
"Regardless, I liked the report... The scene was tragic and heartbreaking, but why do I feel so excited and happy?"
"So watch it a few more times."
"Exactly!"
...
USA Today published a commentary:
"Ian Carr is an excellent reporter skilled at capturing hot topics. Although we disagree with his actions, we still admire his sharp insight and strong mental fortitude."
USA Today was affiliated with Gannett, the largest newspaper group in the United States. They were obviously very interested in the rise of the Los Angeles Herald. Not long ago, they had even reached out to Ian about a potential news collaboration, so they wouldn't criticize him outright.
...
The New York Daily published another commentary:
"This was a sad incident, but as this reporter discovered, the deceased was a gang member, and this could not exclude the possibility of gang-related murder."
I liked your angle on this, taking the story to another level.
...
The Los Angeles Times, being the most critical of Ian, published a strong rebuke:
"Interviewing a person on fire is a humiliation to the entire media industry. Ian Carr should get out of journalism; he isn't qualified to be a reporter or run a media company! He's a disgrace to the press!"
Naked jealousy! Hmph!
...
CBS News released a statement:
"Ian Carr is an excellent reporter who simply did what a reporter is supposed to do."
Ian had sold his footage to CBS, so CBS wouldn't say anything bad about him.
...
ABC commented: "We sympathize with everything that has happened and mourn the deceased, but there's no need to blame an excellent reporter for it."
ABC and Touchstone Pictures were part of Disney, and they had a good relationship with Ian, so they also refrained from criticizing him.
...
NBC stated:
"Ian Carr is an excellent reporter, but we believe reporters should adhere to certain ethical boundaries."
NBC had no ties with Ian, so their statement remained relatively fair and objective.
...
CW, FOX, and other news outlets also maintained a neutral stance on Ian... This impressive reporter could very well join us in the future, you know?
So they neither condemned nor praised him.
...
The incident of the Burning Torch brought Ian Carr back into the limelight, but unlike his previous hero status, this time he had become a cold-hearted villain.
Thus, public opinion about Ian Carr in America divided completely.
Some regarded him as a hero for rescuing Kate Beckinsale and an innocent ten-year-old girl, while others deemed him a devil who watched someone burn alive for the sake of his interviews.
The evaluations of Ian Carr became polarizing, but this was precisely what Ian wanted.
With controversy came buzz.
If he wanted his company to grow quickly, the fastest route was to make its leader a celebrity.
The celebrity effect drove the news effect.
It should be noted that the money gained from increased sales at the Herald was nothing compared to what Ian earned from selling news. This was all due to the Herald being too small.
But once Ian Carr himself became a celebrity, he could propel his company's growth.
Therefore, this incident not only brought a sensational news headline but also placed Ian Carr back in the eyes of the American public.
In two months, Ian made headlines multiple times!
Off that base, whatever news Ian reported from then on would naturally gain a 100% increase in visibility.
However, for Ian, none of that mattered.
The world kept turning, and life went on.
Soon enough, everyone would discover that Ian Carr's super scoop was far from over!
*****
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