American Gossip King

Chapter 36 The Cold-Blooded Ian Karl

The flames were still burning.

More and more people gathered on the street, and the flames on Garrick's body were extinguished.

But it was too late; he had already been completely reduced to charcoal.

Ian put down the camera and picked up the video camera and microphone again... Damn, it's so inconvenient to be all alone.

I need a good assistant!

He then pointed the microphone at the first man who had helped and asked, "Sir, what are your thoughts on this incident?"

The man roared, "You damned, cold-blooded animal! You watched him get burned alive!"

Ian replied, "As the first rescuer, you have the potential to become a national hero."

The man paused, quickly straightened his clothes, and faced the camera, saying, "Hello everyone, my name is Alexia Coffey, just an ordinary worker. But I believe that selflessly saving others is the responsibility of every good citizen..."

After the shoot, Ian was very satisfied and also interviewed other people about their opinions on the matter.

The crowd was buzzing with discussion:

"Garrick looks like he's going to die. This is a good accident."

How did you know it was an accident?

"Because there were no gunshots, I initially thought he should have died from gunshot wounds."

"So you don't like Garrick?"

"Nobody here likes him."

"So what do you think of Mr. Coffey who saved the man?"

"He saved the wrong person."

"Damn it, this has nothing to do with who I'm saving!" said Coffey himself, who had to defend the righteousness of his actions.

Amid the controversy, the sirens of ambulances could be heard in the distance.

Although the ambulance footage wasn't particularly valuable, Ian still filmed it to make sure the news had a beginning and an end, and also took some pictures of what was happening inside Garrick's house, naturally leaving his mark.

Then he drove away satisfied.

………………

The following morning, CBS News and the Los Angeles Herald jointly published the news.

As a typical fire-related death, this news is of no value.

What's valuable is that the scene of the target being burned to death was captured on film and even interviewed on site—most people never have the chance to see such a scene, or if they do, it's in a movie, and it's fake.

Now it is real, rare, and exclusive.

Therefore, good news needs to be processed, just as the same story told by different authors will have completely different effects—a powerful production process can make up for the lack of materials!

In this context, the news once again became a hot topic.

Another major news story!

The Los Angeles Herald's sales hit a new record, and related videos and interviews have appeared on various internet platforms.

Ian's interviews with victims of the fire have sparked much discussion.

"I've never seen a more cold-blooded bastard than Ian Carl. Couldn't he have saved people first?"

"A journalist's professional ethics is to be a faithful observer and recorder, not a participant."

"He has to be a person first, and a journalist second!"

"Anyway, I like this report... The scene is so tragic and heartbreaking, but why do I feel so excited and happy?"

"So you need to watch it several times."

"That's absolutely right!"

While readers' comments varied in their opinions, the envy from peers was palpable.

USA Today published a commentary:

"Ian Carr is an excellent journalist who excels at capturing trending topics. Although we do not approve of his actions, we still admire his keen insight and strong mental fortitude."

USA Today is owned by Gannett, the first newspaper group in the United States. They are clearly very interested in the rise of the Los Angeles Herald. Not long ago, they even sent someone to contact Ian, hoping to establish a news partnership with him. Therefore, they will not criticize Ian.

The New York Daily News published a commentary:

"This is a tragic accident, but according to our reporter, the deceased was a gang member, and the possibility that this was a gang-related revenge killing cannot be ruled out."

I like your perspective; it takes things from another angle.

The Los Angeles Times is always the most critical of Ian, and their commentary is extremely aggressive:

"To interview a man who is on fire is an insult to the entire media industry. Ian Carr should be kicked out of the media world; he doesn't deserve to be a journalist or run a media company! He is a disgrace to the newspaper industry!"

Naked jealousy! Humph!

CBS News spokesperson:

"Ian Carr is an excellent journalist; he just did everything a journalist should do."

Ian's videos were sold to CBS, so CBS certainly wouldn't say anything bad about Ian.

ABC News spokesperson:

The latest novel is first published here!

"We sympathize with what happened and mourn for the dead, but there is no need to blame an excellent journalist for this."

ABC and Touchstone are both owned by Disney, and Touchstone Pictures has a good relationship with Ian McKellen, so ABC did not criticize Ian McKellen.

NBC News spokesperson:

"Ian Carr is an excellent journalist, but we believe that journalists should adhere to certain bottom lines."

NBC and Ian have little interaction, so their comments were relatively fair and objective.

Similarly fair and objective are television news networks such as CW and FOX, who are taking a wait-and-see approach to Ian... Could such a brilliant reporter be recruited by us in the future?

Therefore, I neither criticize nor condemn nor praise.

As for the Southern faction, they fell silent.

This is a difficult situation to cover up, and even an uncrowned king can't go this far, so they can only pretend to be deaf and dumb, and use other topics to emphasize the importance of professional ethics... Excellent journalists are always good at finding all sorts of amazing angles!

The burning of the torch brought Ian Carl back into the spotlight, but unlike his previous heroic reputation, this time he became a cold-blooded and ruthless bastard.

As a result, public opinion in the United States became completely divided regarding Ian Carl.

Some consider him a hero, after all, he saved Kate Beckinsale and an innocent ten-year-old girl, while others think he's a devil who watched others burn alive while only caring about his own interviews.

Opinions on Ian Carl are polarized, but that's exactly what Ian wanted.

Controversy creates buzz.

If you want your company to grow rapidly, the quickest way is to make your company leader a celebrity.

The celebrity effect drives the news effect.

It's important to understand that the money the newspaper is making from increased sales is far less than what Ian earns from selling news articles, all because the newspaper is too small.

But when Ian Carl himself becomes a celebrity, he can drive the growth of the business.

Therefore, this incident not only brought major news, but also brought Ian Carr back into the public eye in the United States.

In just two months, Ian made headlines multiple times!

Based on this, Ian Carl will have a natural bonus no matter what news he reports in the future—a 100% increase in its reach.

But none of that mattered to Ian.

The earth continues to turn, and life goes on as usual.

Before long, you'll discover that Ian Carl's amazing revelations go far beyond what's already been revealed!

(End of this chapter)