[Write the Story] A Journalist Crosses the Line
Prompt: A Journalist Crosses the Line
Words: defamation, stroke, reporter, truck, weasel, supermarket, encyclopedia, contemplate, classify, clutch
Story
“You’re going to get us sued for defamation, and I think I’m having a stroke.” Len slammed his fist on his desk hard enough to make an encyclopedia jump. “Or worse! The Feds could investigate us. Give me one good reason not to throw you to the wolves.”
Blair didn’t flinch. She stared her editor down as his tirade wound down. She seemed to contemplate the citations, degrees, and awards on the wall behind him until he sputtered to a stop with a “Well?”
“I’m sorry, did you want me to do supermarket stories or did you hire me to be the type of reporter who dug deep?”
“Is this story for real? Are you willing to go to jail for this story? Because you will, you are in the path of a truck you can’t stop.”
“The senator is a weasel. He only decided to classify the findings after I started working on my story. I’m in the right.”
“You really think so?” Len slammed his fist down once more. “Did you think about anything?”
“Of course I did, Len. I thought about the truth. About what’s going on at the highest levels. It’s what we do. We don’t back down in the clutch. Do we?”
“When it jeopardizes this newspaper, maybe. There’s more at stake here than your hubris.”
“If there is, then I want no part in it.” Blair slapped her credentials on the desk. “I quit.” As she stormed out, she palmed a USB drive. After all there was always the internet.
Word Count: 256
Written: 5-15-17