#DeadLives4Ever

4 - The Protector

One important lesson I learned from school was that the statement 'The camera never lies' was not true. The camera only told the story the person taking it wanted to tell. It was the only thing from school I ever took to heart. I hadn't become a multi-time prize winning editor without sprinkling a bit of razzle and dazzle. Many could have considered this unethical, but mine wasn't the only paper that did it, mine just got the most attention. Besides, I had to pay my bills somehow.

Those of the reporters and writers who weren't on their computers and phones ran around the office, all of them knowing that each second counted. There was always a story that needed to be told, and we had to tell it before anyone else. I was so proud of my team, they would go to whatever lengths they could to get the truth to the people.

Yes, that's right – the truth. Some would call us fake news, but there is nothing fake about what we do.

We just decide what truth to tell people.

The rules only say we have to truth – it doesn't say we have to say the WHOLE truth.

Hey, don't judge me – the British had their 'Blitz Spirit' back in the day after all – and that wasn't exactly the whole truth, but it got people through the war.

I pulled down on the sides of my million-dollar suit and joined my flock. "All right, people," I cry, clapping my hands, "how are we doing, I want to hear stories!"

"Catherine," cried Sasha; fresh out of college and a master of the Bang haircut. "I recorded this at a recent protest."

She showed me her video on her camera phone. It showed a group of protestors shouting abuse at a police officer, who was appealing for calm. A small group of them jumped the fence and started attacked him. The officer pulled his weapon and fired into the air, then turned his guns on a few protestors as they ran away, screaming.

"Can you edit that down to just include the bit where the police officer fires on the protestors?" I ask. "We'll have a headline 'Cop turns gun on peaceful protestors.'"

"On it, boss!"

Zoe comes up to me next. She has so many piercings on her face she often set off alarms at security check ins. "I took a picture of President Clunden during the recent charity festival," she said, showing a picture of Clunden with her eyes closed. "I managed to get a glimpse of her closing her eyes for a brief second. I thought we could run a piece about her falling asleep at the festival."

"Brilliant!" I cry. "That's the sort of initiative that will get you far in this line of work!"

Zoe smiled, rushing back to her desk to get the story made up.

"Catherine?"

"Yes, Lachon?" I said, turning to the tanned lady with braided hair.

"Derek Johnson has just been suspended from the football season for refusing to take the knee," the reporter replied.

"Son of a bitch!" I gasp. "He just made the front page! Let's make him look like a bastard!"

"You got it!" Lachon replied.

"That's my g- oh no, wait." I stopped myself, almost slipping. "Sorry, you know I respect your right to be named whatever you are."

"Of course," Lachon said.

"You just get on with that story." With that, I walked over to Brian at his computer. "How's it going, Bri? How are the reviews for The Final Living 2?"

"It's critically acclaimed across the board," Brian replied. "100% across them all."

"Excellent," I say clapping my hands. I must remember to send the reviewers their payment at some point. "What about the audience scores?"

"Now that is a different story altogether," Brian replied. "It currently has a 3% review from the audience. Man, the game isn't even out yet and it's got people pissed. I guess that reveal trailer got them angry."

Music to my ears! "We'll run a piece about how trolls tried to review bomb this game. It'll be a good companion piece to our 'Deadsandry in gaming'."

"You sure that's a good idea?" Brian asked. "I mean, it's just people giving their opinion."

I narrowed my eyes and he went silent, his face turning whiter than usual. Trust Brian to stick to his morals. I then laugh. "That's what I like about you, Brian. Your honesty is second to none."

Brian let out a breath. I let him think that he was out of the woods for just a few seconds before...

"You're fired. Clean out your desk. If you're still here in five minutes, I'm calling security."

I can see Brian wants to protest, but I glance towards him and shut his mouth. I walk over to Zoe. "Zoe, sorry to bother you. I had to unfortunately fire Brian for not being a team player. You've been keeping track of our employees social media status, is there anything we can use against him?"

Zoe quickly skimmed through Brian's social media feed. Having worked on all the big social media platforms before coming here, Zoe was an expert at browsing – she could go back many years on a feed in just a matter of seconds. "I found one here where he told a woman to shut up," she replied, "it was from sixteen years ago though."

"Brilliant!" I exclaimed. "Send that around the web. Tell people that we had to fire him for his sexist comments."

"I'm not sure," Zoe said hesitantly, "I mean, his mother's sick. This seems a little mu-" Zoe froze when I activated my glare. "I'll get right on it," Zoe replied.

Yes, I did indeed run a tight ship at this paper – I had no time for those who wouldn't follow the program.

You might think I'm being 'morally corrupt' in the way I do things – but frankly I don't care what you think. This is the way it's always been. People follow the media because they need to be told what to be afraid of. Being offended by things gives their lives purpose. We tell them what to be angry about – until we find a new story and then move on. And they eat up what we give them like pigs being given leftovers.

As is an old saying in my family – Control the narrative, control the people.

"Catherine?" barked a voice behind me.

"Ah, Sarah! You're back early," I said, "did you get anything juicy from the crime scene?"

Sarah had a look like an excited child at Christmas. "You are not going to believe what I just got!" Sarah exclaimed. "A rare interview with one of the officers at the scene!"

"Oooooh, tell me more!"

As soon as Sarah told me, we had to take Derek Johnson off the front page. We had a NEW story!