Page 61 of Your Rhythm
“But people love reality TV!” she exclaims. “There’s a new one onchaque semaine. You don’t see any failing reality TV shows, do you? No. But newspapers are failing left and right.”
She drops her head into her hands and takes a few deeps breaths. I wonder if I should get up and pat her on the back, but decide that patting Marie-France on the back would probably be the most awkward experience of my life.
“Excuse-moi, Mademoiselle Fischer,” she says after a moment. “I amben stressée.The paper is putting a lot of pressure on me now.”
I’ve never seen her crack like this before.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” I offer.
She shakes her head. “I just need this story, Kay. I know you can’t make a scandal where there is no scandal. It would be wrong to ask that, but I think thereisan issue here, an issue we can use. Don’t be afraid to get at it. Go deeper. Give me more than fluff.”
“More than fluff. Right. Got it.”
I start to get up from my chair.
“You still have one more of their concerts to go to, yes?” Marie-France asks before I go.
I nod.
“Good. That will help you. When did you become such anenthousiasteof this band, anyway? I could hardly get you to cover this story. Now you sound like you’re in love with them.”
“In love?” I almost choke on the words. “No. No no no. I just started to like their music more after I saw them play. They’re...they’re all right.”
“Hmm,” Marie-France grumbles, her eyes already fixed back on her computer. “Just don’t let that affect your story,d’accord?”
“Not at all!”
I let myself out of the office before I break out into nervous giggles. Pierre spares me a glance as I settle down at my desk.
“You don’t look like that went well. Was it about the sample?”
“Yeah.” I wince as I decide to admit the truth. “She called it fluff.”
“Ouch.”
“My thoughts exactly,” I tell him. “She wants it to be ‘less tame.’”
“Lesstame?La Garereally is trying to turn itself around, isn’t it?”
I nod and pull up a few documents along with my daily schedule. I have two phone interviews, a few hours’ worth of research, and an article to get done today. I’m as up to my neck as ever with deadlines, but I just keep zoning out every time I try to get down to business. When the screen blurs in front of me for the fourth time in twenty minutes, I turn back to Pierre.
“Do you think it’s possible to write a controversial article without jeopardizing the reputation of the subject?”
He turns to face me as well, reaching up to rub his bald spot as he considers me for a moment.
“Non,” he says finally. “La controverse, c’est la controverse. Even if you’re showing the subject in a good light, you still make them a target for criticism if you associate them with anything controversial.”
“You think so?”
“Yes.” He pushes his swivel chair closer. “Say you profile an actress. In your research, you find out she used to be a porn star and you mention it. You could position the article to say there’s nothing wrong with porn and that the actress is a talented and accomplished woman who deserves respect. People are still going to make a scandal over her being a porn star.”
I nod a few times. I’m not planning on exposing anything like a connection to the adult film industry, but if I give Marie-France the kind of article she’s demanding, there’s still no way Sherbrooke Station will get out unscathed.
“Have you ever hurt a source with something you wrote?” I blurt, surprising myself.
Pierre gives me a curious look. “Is there something you want to talk about, Kay?”
“No,” I answer quickly. “Just...have you?”
