him.
“Well, my interview with Mike Greenberg from NSS just finished and…”
“Mike Greenberg? Wasn’t he the guy who developed that app…” Carter forced his memory.
“Synthesis?” I helped him.
“Ray, have you used this app?” Carter suddenly hurled the ball at Ray who was visibly startled.
“I personally haven’t but two friends of mine have. I’ve heard contrasting opinions…”
“Entrepreneurship, new technology, money, fame…” Carter had turned his face to the window and was gazing at the office building across the street. “I like it.” He turned back to me. “That’s what the average Joe wants to watch. It’s no accident that your most commented and liked stories are the one about the 90-year-old man from Kansas who became a YouTube star and the other – about the teenage author who sold over million copies of her sci-fi series.” Carter was staring at me thoughtfully. “We show what the viewer wants to see. The viewer is king and their desire is the law AEC abides.”
“Yes, that’s why my stories are always based on readers’ emails and letters I’ve received. The last one I got was from a woman from Milwaukee who’d written to me about a priest who had helped…”
“Julia, do you know which story has been most viewed for the past month? A Talk to a Star by Jennifer Bailey. Her last interview with the up-and-coming rapper Chris Levine has over 230 retweets on Twitter and 400 shares on Facebook. It’s been added to favorites by more than 500 people and our mail is swarming with messages. That’s what Raymond and I were discussing before you came in. Ray, show her the figures!” Raymond, who was sitting next to me leaned forward and showed me the stats displayed on a tablet.
Jennifer Bailey was a young 20-something reporter fresh out of Columbia University who usually interviewed celebrities in Los Angeles for James Miller Live.
“I know we had agreed that you would be host of The Screw but Jennifer will fit much better with the whole concept behind the show. I am sorry to say that to you but for now it’s not possible for you to have your own show.”
I shuddered for a moment. I couldn’t believe that one little girl who’d been working at AEC for less than a year had stolen my primetime!
“Don’t be sad, Julia. Stephan Georgepolous likes you; he’s a big fan of yours. If you push him a little bit, you might get your own show.”
“Are you kidding me? Yes, at my birthday party in GMU’s office he did say he was my fan but that was just a joke.”
“Well, it’s better than nothing, isn’t it?”
Raymond chuckled.
I pressed my lips together nervously and aimed for the door when Carter’s words stopped me:
“Julia, I appreciate your diligence and hard work. I promise you that next season I’ll talk to Barbara Harris and try to make you Jennifer’s deputy on The Screw.”
Raymond smiled pityingly and tossed the rubber ball at me.
***
“And how did you feel?” Susan, the Investigative Reporter, asked me.
“Furious, of course. I felt like aiming Carter’s goddamned rubber ball right at his face!”
Emily, the Workplace Contributor, laughed. Every day after work my colleagues and I met up at the Dead Poet. Ted Collins, the weather anchor, always spent his birthday there because of the bar’s policy of offering free drinks to customers who were born on the same date as some eminent literary figure. It had turned out Ted was born on the same day as Hemingway, and that day he had talked the bar’s manager into selling drinks at half price to all people from GMU’s team.
“I’ve noticed that when things start working well professionally for somebody, soon enough they succeed in personal life, as well,” Susan added thoughtfully. “Take Jenny, for example. Not only will she become The Screw’s new host but she’s also going out with Lewis.”
Emily poked Susan to make her shut up. “I told you not to mention Lewis!”
“What? I thought
“Well, my interview with Mike Greenberg from NSS just finished and…”
“Mike Greenberg? Wasn’t he the guy who developed that app…” Carter forced his memory.
“Synthesis?” I helped him.
“Ray, have you used this app?” Carter suddenly hurled the ball at Ray who was visibly startled.
“I personally haven’t but two friends of mine have. I’ve heard contrasting opinions…”
“Entrepreneurship, new technology, money, fame…” Carter had turned his face to the window and was gazing at the office building across the street. “I like it.” He turned back to me. “That’s what the average Joe wants to watch. It’s no accident that your most commented and liked stories are the one about the 90-year-old man from Kansas who became a YouTube star and the other – about the teenage author who sold over million copies of her sci-fi series.” Carter was staring at me thoughtfully. “We show what the viewer wants to see. The viewer is king and their desire is the law AEC abides.”
“Yes, that’s why my stories are always based on readers’ emails and letters I’ve received. The last one I got was from a woman from Milwaukee who’d written to me about a priest who had helped…”
“Julia, do you know which story has been most viewed for the past month? A Talk to a Star by Jennifer Bailey. Her last interview with the up-and-coming rapper Chris Levine has over 230 retweets on Twitter and 400 shares on Facebook. It’s been added to favorites by more than 500 people and our mail is swarming with messages. That’s what Raymond and I were discussing before you came in. Ray, show her the figures!” Raymond, who was sitting next to me leaned forward and showed me the stats displayed on a tablet.
Jennifer Bailey was a young 20-something reporter fresh out of Columbia University who usually interviewed celebrities in Los Angeles for James Miller Live.
“I know we had agreed that you would be host of The Screw but Jennifer will fit much better with the whole concept behind the show. I am sorry to say that to you but for now it’s not possible for you to have your own show.”
I shuddered for a moment. I couldn’t believe that one little girl who’d been working at AEC for less than a year had stolen my primetime!
“Don’t be sad, Julia. Stephan Georgepolous likes you; he’s a big fan of yours. If you push him a little bit, you might get your own show.”
“Are you kidding me? Yes, at my birthday party in GMU’s office he did say he was my fan but that was just a joke.”
“Well, it’s better than nothing, isn’t it?”
Raymond chuckled.
I pressed my lips together nervously and aimed for the door when Carter’s words stopped me:
“Julia, I appreciate your diligence and hard work. I promise you that next season I’ll talk to Barbara Harris and try to make you Jennifer’s deputy on The Screw.”
Raymond smiled pityingly and tossed the rubber ball at me.
***
“And how did you feel?” Susan, the Investigative Reporter, asked me.
“Furious, of course. I felt like aiming Carter’s goddamned rubber ball right at his face!”
Emily, the Workplace Contributor, laughed. Every day after work my colleagues and I met up at the Dead Poet. Ted Collins, the weather anchor, always spent his birthday there because of the bar’s policy of offering free drinks to customers who were born on the same date as some eminent literary figure. It had turned out Ted was born on the same day as Hemingway, and that day he had talked the bar’s manager into selling drinks at half price to all people from GMU’s team.
“I’ve noticed that when things start working well professionally for somebody, soon enough they succeed in personal life, as well,” Susan added thoughtfully. “Take Jenny, for example. Not only will she become The Screw’s new host but she’s also going out with Lewis.”
Emily poked Susan to make her shut up. “I told you not to mention Lewis!”
“What? I thought
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