Here’s my take on the “Reporters” edition of Sketchwar.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
INT. OFFICE – DAY<\/p>\n
An EDITOR (50s) -- suspenders, cigar, sun-visor hat -- sits at his desk.<\/p>\n
A REPORTER (30) sits opposite him.<\/p>\n
A sign with a large “AMERICA DAILY” logo the wall beside the door.<\/p>\n
EDITOR<\/p>\n
You want a health-care article? On page one? Of my<\/i> newspaper?<\/p>\n
REPORTER<\/p>\n
The CBO put out another report, and --<\/p>\n
The editor produces a sheaf of paper and dumps it on the desk.<\/p>\n
EDITOR<\/p>\n
And you summarized in three thousand goddamn words!<\/p>\n
REPORTER<\/p>\n
It’s complicated.<\/p>\n
EDITOR<\/p>\n
Where’s the human interest?<\/p>\n
REPORTER<\/p>\n
It’s explaining about how a single-payer system --<\/p>\n
EDITOR<\/p>\n
Who the hell knows what “single-payer” means?<\/p>\n
REPORTER<\/p>\n
The definition is really simple --<\/p>\n
EDITOR<\/p>\n
We’re not including another page-one ‘glossary insert’. Not on my watch, kid.<\/p>\n
REPORTER<\/p>\n
This is the biggest news story going, and we have to get it across to people!<\/p>\n
The editor tosses the sheaf of papers at the reporter.<\/p>\n
EDITOR<\/p>\n
Three hundred words, at an eighth-grade reading level, or never darken my door again!<\/p>\n
REPORTER #2 (30) opens the door and he peeks inside.<\/p>\n
REPORTER #2<\/p>\n
Boss, check this out!<\/p>\n
He holds up an infographic: a bar chart with a different smiling puppy face at the top of each bar.<\/p>\n
The edtior eyes it. Creepy smile.<\/p>\n
EDITOR<\/p>\n
An infographic!<\/p>\n
REPORTER #2<\/p>\n
It’s a poll showing eight different breeds of puppies! and what percent of America thinks they’re cute!<\/p>\n
EDITOR<\/p>\n
That’s filling the spot on page one.<\/p>\n
REPORTER<\/p>\n
But sir --<\/p>\n
EDITOR<\/p>\n
Out! Both of you! Get out!<\/p>\n
The reporters start to exit.<\/p>\n
EDITOR<\/p>\n
You! Leave the puppy chart.<\/p>\n
He does so.<\/p>\n
They exit.<\/p>\n
The editor picks up the chart.<\/p>\n
EDITOR<\/p>\n
(to the chart)<\/p>\n
Oh, yes, come here, you saucy little minx...<\/p>\n
FADE OUT.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Peter’s take on the “Reporters” edition of Sketchwar: “Page One”.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[162],"class_list":["post-1581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sketches","tag-reporters"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sketchwar.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sketchwar.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sketchwar.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sketchwar.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sketchwar.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1581"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sketchwar.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1581\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sketchwar.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sketchwar.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sketchwar.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}