LJ Idol Season 8, Week 15: "Preoccupied"
"Fit To Print"
"You're sure this is happening?...One hour from now?...And I have the address right?...Okay, thanks."
Carlos hung up the phone on his tipster friend and looked at his notes. This is why I took this internship three months ago, he thought to himself. I'm going to be the one to break this story.
But the chain of command had to be obeyed. Grabbing his legal pad, he hopped out of his cubicle and walked across the hallway to his supervisor's. "Suzie, I've got something--"
"Shh, I'm on the phone," she whispered crossly. "Talk to Tom." She turned back to her phone as Carlos walked away. "So Bekah thinks he, like, like likes me..."
Down the hallway was the managing office of Tom Franklin, local news editor. Knocking on the door, he was greeted with the sound of Tom berating someone in his usual colorful manner. "Talk to someone else!" were the only words he could be bothered to direct at Carlos before continuing his profane litany.
Carlos recalled the manual he had been given on his first day. Keep escalating until you get an answer, it had said. Next on the list was the managing editor, but when he peeked in the window, Sam appeared to be more focused on the red-headed receptionist with her head in his lap. The executive editor was "in a meeting," according to his secretary, and the other editors were "at lunch."
With time ticking away, Carlos raced up the stairs to the office of the Editor in Chief. Here goes nothing, he thought to himself as he caught his breath before knocking on the door. To his surprise, he heard, "Come in."
"I just got a tip on a story."
"Who are you again?"
"Carlos Martinez, interning in the news department," he replied, showing his badge. "Everyone else I was supposed to take this to was busy."
"Hmm..." the boss replied. "What do you have?"
"A group of protesters is gathering," Carlos said as he referred to his notes. "They're supposed to descend on Zuccotti Park within the hour. Something about economic inequality."
The editor stared at the young intern for a few seconds. "That's not news; that's a typical Tuesday downtown. We've got too much going on to be sending anyone to that. Get outta here, kid, and come back with some real news."
"But sir, this is..."
"GET OUT!"
"You're sure this is happening?...One hour from now?...And I have the address right?...Okay, thanks."
Carlos hung up the phone on his tipster friend and looked at his notes. This is why I took this internship three months ago, he thought to himself. I'm going to be the one to break this story.
But the chain of command had to be obeyed. Grabbing his legal pad, he hopped out of his cubicle and walked across the hallway to his supervisor's. "Suzie, I've got something--"
"Shh, I'm on the phone," she whispered crossly. "Talk to Tom." She turned back to her phone as Carlos walked away. "So Bekah thinks he, like, like likes me..."
Down the hallway was the managing office of Tom Franklin, local news editor. Knocking on the door, he was greeted with the sound of Tom berating someone in his usual colorful manner. "Talk to someone else!" were the only words he could be bothered to direct at Carlos before continuing his profane litany.
Carlos recalled the manual he had been given on his first day. Keep escalating until you get an answer, it had said. Next on the list was the managing editor, but when he peeked in the window, Sam appeared to be more focused on the red-headed receptionist with her head in his lap. The executive editor was "in a meeting," according to his secretary, and the other editors were "at lunch."
With time ticking away, Carlos raced up the stairs to the office of the Editor in Chief. Here goes nothing, he thought to himself as he caught his breath before knocking on the door. To his surprise, he heard, "Come in."
"I just got a tip on a story."
"Who are you again?"
"Carlos Martinez, interning in the news department," he replied, showing his badge. "Everyone else I was supposed to take this to was busy."
"Hmm..." the boss replied. "What do you have?"
"A group of protesters is gathering," Carlos said as he referred to his notes. "They're supposed to descend on Zuccotti Park within the hour. Something about economic inequality."
The editor stared at the young intern for a few seconds. "That's not news; that's a typical Tuesday downtown. We've got too much going on to be sending anyone to that. Get outta here, kid, and come back with some real news."
"But sir, this is..."
"GET OUT!"