All language subtitles for Alaska.Daily.S01E07.WEBRip.x264-ION10

Previously on
Alaska Daily...

Complaints have surfaced.

- We need to walk back the story.
- You do that, Rushmi, I walk.

Stanley. Why are you here?

Her name is Gloria Nanmac.

It's a story about how

the Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Women crisis

is being ignored.

Roz, I want to put you
on a story with Eileen.

- Why not just give
the whole story to me?
- It's my story.

Do you know anything
about Alaska?

Following the publication
of your stories,

- Durkin was fired.
- So was Barnett.

When you expose people,
do you worry about blowback?

Hello,
Eileen. Did you get my gift?

The next bullet you receive
won't be in a box.

- Hey, Claire.
- Hey, Dennis.

How's the blog?

Governor, great to see so many
resources being employed

to find Henley Scott.

Can't put a price on life.

To that point, an Alaska Native
woman's currently missing,

and the amount of money
spent to find her

is less than your sushi lunch.

If it isn't my favorite
pilot poet.

Any chance
you're free tonight?

I gotta rain check.

My, uh, colleagues--
I promised them a drink.

- Good night, Eileen.
- Night, Jamie.

Eileen.

The truth is,
we're the ones being bullied

by the media.

That is what's happening
in our public discourse.

Disagree with anything
they say,

and you're labeled fascist,
racist, homophobic.

- That's bullying.
- Last one inside.

- Hey, guys,
wait up for me!
- They're using language

- like a cudgel...
- Hurry up, Yuna!

...to get us to submit
to their moral subjectivism.

Trust me, I know.

I used to work
at the snowflake factory--

Good night, Jamie.

Eileen.

Who are you?

You know who I am.

Concerned Citizen.

Don't do this.

You left me no choice.

Please, God,

don't-- don't do this.

Give me your phone.

Get up.

Get up!

There are other people here.

There's no one here, Eileen.

It's just you and me.

Move.

Sit down.

You know, we have a night editor
who comes in.

No one
is getting inside this building.

If they do, you're dead.

I'm late.
That's my friends.

They probably are wondering
where I am.

Unlock it.

Slowly.

Whatcha need, Stanley?

So many things.

But I'll settle for
another round for the team.

And a club soda for you?
You got it.

I get that you don't
like the way I do my job.

I'm an outsider.

I'd like to apologize,
Mr.--

Mm. No names.

Okay. Concerned Citizen.

What can I do
to make things right?

I told you to go back
to New York.

You're still here.

I needed the job.

No one would hire me.

Why are you here?

Because
you didn't listen to me.

No one does.

Ah!

And she hits the Redeemer.
Triple 20.

How are you so good at this?

I practically lived here
before I had kids.

Now, that Claire sounds fun.

That Claire was.

Ah! Dagnabbit!

Language, Bob.

You all right, Stanley?

There's a gunman
in the newsroom.

He's taken Eileen hostage.

- What?
- He thinks
it's Concerned Citizen,

the guy who's been
harassing her.

Who's he?
Who are you talking to?

Gabriel's hiding
in the Morgue.

- Oh, my God.
- Concerned Citizen?

The one who sent the bullet
to Eileen last month?

We should have contacted
the police.

- We should call them now.
- Won't that set him off?

I mean, it could.

We don't know
what this guy's capable of.

We don't have a choice.
Call them.

Agreed.
I'll make the call.

Bob, call Pritchard.

Will do.

What's this for?

Your confession.

What am I confessing about?

How you spread lies
and suppress the truth.

How you faithfully serve
your corporate masters

while they destroy
the backbone of our country.

You read The Eagle?

I do.

Dennis Gibson,
he speaks the truth.

He understands what's really
happening out there.

He has an opinion
about what's happening,

but from what I've read,
he doesn't deal in facts.

Ah. You're one to talk.

You're only in Anchorage
'cause you couldn't get

your facts right
back in New York.

And now you're out here
spreading the same liberal crap.

I'm not political.

I don't even vote.

My... obligation is
to maintain objectivity--

Your obligation?

You abandoned your obligations
a long time ago, lady.

See, I've done the reading.

The purpose
of the fourth estate

is to advocate
for the common man,

and that sure as hell
does not describe you.

Okay.

So you want me to confess
about how I'm not doing my job.

Is that it?

Yeah, that's it.

Write.

Karla, could you
put a pot of coffee on?

Yeah, sure can. It got
real quiet back there, though.

Is everything all right?

Uh, no. A situation
in the newsroom.

Someone broke in,
appears to be armed.

Are you serious?
Should we get out of here?

Uh, not sure.

Stanley's still on the phone
with the police,

but you might want
to make this last call.

Uh, oh, and maybe tell them
to use the back door.

That was Captain Freeman.

Freeman's on this?
Not exactly an ally.

Maybe not, but he assured me
that he understands the threat

and he's confident
that he can seal off the TDA

without alerting the gunman.

- Can we stay here?
- I am.

Yeah, I'll talk to Karla.

I know we're all concerned
and scared,

but we need to put
all that aside and focus.

The best way to help
Eileen and Gabriel

is to get the police
some answers.

Who is this guy and why the hell
did he come after Eileen?

Okay, the place is all yours.
Back door's locked.

Front door is open to the police
like you asked, okay?

Thank you, Karla.

All right,
I got our phone records,

but until we get
the Concerned Citizen's name,

there's nothing to cross check.

There's a guy
who's been posting

in our comments section recently.

Oilman223.

Listen to this.

"Environmentalism is
the greatest thing to happen

to increased government control
since 9/11."

- That sounds like Dennis.
- It does.

I'm on The Eagle blog
right now.

Oilman223 basically did
a cut and paste.

He's definitely a follower.

Hey, I got the same handle
trolling Eileen's Twitter--

@Oilman223.

"@EileenFitzgerald's
shameful ambush of our governor

will be her last."

Did you check the profile
biography for a name?

Yeah, it's blank. He's disabled
location services, too.

This jerk was getting ready
for this.

Let's crowdsource it.
Publish his handle.

Someone has to know
his real identity.

- We'd risk exposing the story.
- Yeah, about that.

I hate to bring it up,
but are we reporting

- this hostage situation or not?
- Fair question.

Any other hostage crisis,
we'd be all over it.

But if we go public,
there's no telling

how Oilman223 will react.

The police are on their way.

It's only gonna be unnoticed
for so long.

TV crews get wind of it,
it's gonna blow up.

Who cares?
It's not about that.

We'll deal with that
when it comes.

Sure, we'll get scooped,

but I want to give the cops
as much time as possible.

Remember, we'll be the only ones
on the inside of this thing,

so the second it breaks,
we should be posting

a minute-by-minute account
on TDA's feed.

Until then, no reporting.

You done?

Not yet.

I understand
what you want me to write,

but...
it's not what I believe.

Yeah. That's the problem.

You write whatever you want.

You don't care who goes down
because of it.

Can you give me an example?

Your last article
on General Greene

grounded an entire fleet
of F41s.

The production line
at Armeon was shut down.

A lot of people are gonna
lose their jobs.

Tell that to the parents
of the dead pilot.

That's not the point.

It is the point.

Printing the truth
has hard consequences,

and we all struggle with that,
but you can't blame me for--

Don't give me that "Don't shoot
the messenger" crap.

Then don't shoot
the messenger.

Finish the confession.

And then what?

Oh, come on.
Pick up, pick up.

Talk to me.

You okay?

For now.

And Eileen?

It's pretty tense in there.

He's forcing her
to write a confession.

Is she going along with it?

She is, but not quietly.

I want to help,
but I don't know how.

Stay calm.
We're talking to the police.

Is there a way you can
get a message to Eileen?

Without being seen?
I-I-I don't know.

He took away her phone. Uh...

Wait.

She can see the Analytics Page.

Okay, we have a way
to get information to Eileen.

Where are we with Oilman223?

He's created dozens of sock
puppet accounts on Twitter.

- Fakes?
- People use it
to amplify their messaging,

and he's having them like
and retweet his comments.

- What a loser.
- None of the accounts
are verified,

but I found a link
that's connected to a website.

The domain name is registered
by an E.L. Barry.

I'm logged into Nexis.
There's an Eric Lowell Barry.

Address on Spenard.
Not sure if it's current.

Um, a few unpaid
parking tickets and a DUI.

But no history
of violent crime?

Anybody get a photo
on this guy?

Here.

- What are you doing?
- Gabriel can see him.

Stanley.

Aaron, back here.

Got him.

I'll let Anchorage PD know
we have a name.

- Okay.
- We have a name?

We do.
Eric Lowell Barry.

What do we know about him?

He's disgruntled,
to say the least.

How's Eileen doing?

Gabriel says
she seems all right.

We have a way to get her
messages on the Analytics Page.

Let's go talk
to Captain Freeman. He's here.

Okay.

Bravo Team
to Ground Element.

I have eyes on the suspect.

Copy, Bravo Team.

Sit tight.

Mr. Cornik, Mr. Pritchard.

Captain. How can we help?

You've been
very helpful so far.

This is Laura Cole,
senior member

of our
Crisis Negotiation Team.

I understand we have a name,
Eric Barry,

and can communicate
with Eileen.

- Anything else?
- Not yet.

We're still compiling info
on Eric.

I need Cole to establish contact
as soon as possible.

What's the best office line
for us to call?

Is that safe? Calling?

The best way to protect
your colleagues

is to get this guy talking.

But any other info your team
uncovers would be very helpful.

Okay, so let's keep
sharing information.

In the meantime,
I'm gonna have our snipers

monitoring the newsroom.

"I confess that I,
Eileen Fitzgerald,

am a member
of the liberal media elite.

Not only is
my reporting biased,

it represents a concerted effort
to suppress the truth

and spread lies,
lies which only serve

the global interests
of multi-national corporations

whose ultimate aim is
to control our government

and restrict
our constitutional freedoms..."

That work?

Yeah.

Now type it up and publish it.

- I can't do that.
- The hell you can't.

No, I-I literally mean
I can't.

I don't know how to publish.

My editor has to send me
a live link.

Then get him
to send you a link.

It won't work.
He has to read it, proof it.

Uh, I mean,
editors are like dogs.

They have to piss on everything.

This isn't some damn joke.

I'm not joking.
This confession isn't me.

He'll see right through it.

Anyone who reads it
will see right through it.

That might be my editor.
Let me talk to him--

Report.
What happened?

Report.

What happened?
Did the suspect fire?

Confirmed.
A shot was fired.

Stand by for confirmation.

Shot was wide.
Hostage is unharmed.

I wasn't gonna answer it.

I'm just making sure.

I have to go to the bathroom.

This better not be
some kind of trick.

It isn't.

I've been here for hours. Please.

What was that?
Everything okay?

He fired his weapon,
but Eileen's okay.

Claire, you should go home,
deal with your family.

Jeff's got it handled.

I'm not leaving, not while
they're still in there.

- None of us are.
- Thanks, Karla.

Okay, where are we?

Still compiling Eric's posts
and comments.

Any idea why he targeted Eileen?

He definitely hates
mainstream media,

but when it comes
to his trolling,

he doesn't call out
any specific offense.

Yeah, he parrots
Dennis Gibson mostly.

A majority of his work
is on The Eagle.

They were trading messages
right before

Eric walked into the newsroom.

Dennis compared Eileen
to a "spreading cancerous sore

- that requires excising."
- What a dick.

He was my first editor
at the paper.

I'm gonna wake his ass up.

- Cool?
- Yeah. Go.

Hey, guys.
This is Detective Kowalczyk.

- Hello.
- Hey, Walz.

Austin, good to see you.

Sorry it's under
these circumstances.

Us, too, Detective.
How can we help?

Yeah, I have a last known
address for Eric Barry.

- Northwood Drive?
- Exactly.

He's been fighting eviction
for months.

Guess when the bank finally
foreclosed on him?

Three days ago.

Stanley, maybe I head
over there, too?

Canvass the neighbors,
see what they know?

Yeah. Go.

Well, if your car's out front,
it's, uh, trapped

by the police line.

Uh, can you give me a lift?

Uh, officially, no, but if we
call it a "ride-along,"

I can do,
but you have to ask me first.

Can I do a ride-along with you,
Walz?

If you sign a waiver, yes.
Let's go.

You going?

I can't.

I've never peed at gunpoint.

You worked on oil rigs?
Your boots.

I covered the Deepwater Horizon
in 2010.

Yeah, you covered it, huh?

You ever do any real work,
or just cover it?

I think what I do is real.

But if you mean skilled labor,
not so much.

My father did.

He was a... steel worker
in Youngstown, Ohio.

Just like his father.

He was proud of that.

I was, too.

That supposed to make me
like you or something?

You keep calling me elite.

I didn't grow up with money
or fancy schools.

My mom was a teacher.

We didn't have a lot,
but it was a good life.

Then that all went sideways in
the '80s when the mills closed.

My dad was never the same.

It broke him.

It broke our whole family.

We both know
how this goes down.

You're about to be
national news.

Use it. Use me.

Let me tell your story.

So you can twist it into
some angry-white-male crap

for your woke mob?

I was canceled by that mob.

Screw them. I'll be fair.

And anyway,
you'll be able to read it

before I send it
to my editor to publish.

My words?

Gabriel says Eileen
has Eric talking now,

seems less agitated.

That can change
in a split second.

And no luck reaching him
on the phone?

We tried a couple
of the other landlines.

He didn't shoot them,
but he's not picking up.

So, what's the plan?

I have three
sniper teams in position.

Only one has a high
probability of a kill shot.

I want to give him the green
light, but there's one problem.

- What's that?
- Your reporter's in the way.

You want us to tell her to move
so you can shoot the guy?

Might be the quickest,
safest way to end this thing.

I say do it.

I worked on rigs all my life,
onshore and off.

Started on the North Slope

straight out of high school
as a worm.

Worked my way up.

Shell came to town in, uh, 2012

with a $6 billion spend.

Those were great years.

Coulda kept it going,
but then ANWR

and all that crap
messed it up.

Who's ANWR?

Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge.

See, the Feds, they control
this huge amount of land,

but they're controlled
by Greenpeace

and all these other
environmental freaks.

Protested non-stop.

They delayed our ice-breakers.

They sabotaged the Kulluk.

- The drilling rig?
- Yeah.

Well, I thought that thing
had problems for years--

multiple engine failures,
that kinda thing.

Yeah, if you believe
the mainstream press.

So, Shell pulled out?

In 2015, then Chevron,
then Imperial.

Governmental regulations
and this mass hysteria

over this global warming BS
has killed Alaska oil.

You really think
global warming is BS?

Well, I think
it's a zero sum game.

Either we burn fossil fuels,

or-- or we mine
for "green" batteries.

It's all the same result.

So why not just let us work?

Meanwhile, I-I haven't worked
for seven years.

Seven.

And, yeah, it breaks you.

What are you looking at?

Just wondering if
it's light outside yet.

Damn it. She said no.
She's not moving.

God.
Why is she protecting this guy?

Why does Eileen do anything?

If she's talking to Barry,

he may have become
more human to her.

She knows if she plays
along with us, he's dead.

She doesn't want to be
responsible for his death.

Let's hope he feels
the same way.

I wouldn't count on it.

In my experience,
as the pressure mounts,

there's a good chance
he could act on his plan.

Which is to kill Eileen.

Based on what we know, yes.

- Oh. Did I wake you?
- The hell are you doing here?

One of your devoted followers
has taken

Eileen Fitzgerald hostage
in the newsroom at gunpoint.

Suggesting it's my fault?

I'm suggesting you need to talk
some sense into him.

So, now I'm the nut whisperer.

Nuts you embolden.

Eric Barry.

You probably know him better
as Oilman223.

I've had a few exchanges
with him.

I don't recall telling him
to take a reporter hostage.

Last night,
an hour before he did,

you two corresponded
on the Eagle message board.

He asked you what a man's
supposed to do

while people like
Eileen Fitzgerald

"twist facts to turn
the great state of Alaska

into another woke mess
like California."

- It's a good question.
- Mm-hmm.

And what did you say?

I say a lot of things
to my devoted readers. I--

"Take action, Oilman223.

Reporters like Eileen Fitzgerald

are a spreading cancerous sore
that requires excising."

It goes without saying,
I'm speaking metaphorically.

When I talk about taking action,
I mean political action.

I don't think Eric got
the nuance of that.

- You need to call him.
- I'm not getting involved.

You are involved.

Do you want him to kill her?

You can't put this on me, Roz.

I didn't make him sad and angry
and frustrated.

All I did was let him know
he was right

to feel those things,
which he deserved to hear.

I can write this story
one of two ways.

Either you're a villain who
instigated a hostage situation

or a hero who helped save
a fellow journalist.

What's it gonna be?

- Good morning. Mr. Torgeson?
- Yeah.

Austin Teague, Daily Alaskan.

I wanted to ask you a few
questions about your neighbor,

Eric Barry.

Why? Something happen?

Well, I can't give
any specifics,

but he got himself into
some trouble with the police.

I'm just trying to get
some background on him.

Guess I'm not surprised.

Yeah? Why's that?

We used to have a beer
every once in a while.

He took some hits in his life
and got real angry.

And paranoid.

- Paranoid?
- Yeah.

Fenced in his yard.

Even started booby-trapping
the property.

He almost killed my dog.

Walz! Walz, hold up!

Walz?

Walz?

Cool. Okay.

Look. It's nice, huh?

I get that
it's been hard, but oil jobs

are coming back, right?

Not for people like me.

Which means that even if things
are equal résumé wise,

and mostly they're not,
I'm not getting hired.

You think that's fair?
Hmm?

Or even legal?

Maybe not the way
you describe it.

You sound like my ex-wife.

What happened?

She met someone
with a sunnier outlook.

I'm sorry.

Kids?

Daughter.

Where is she now?

I don't want to talk about her.

You leave her out of this.

You hear me?

I hear you.

I clear first,
then you come in.

Yeah.

We're good.

Guess he didn't pay
his electric bill, either.

Hey, Walz.

Yeah?

Daughter.

You know, let me see
if I can find her socials.

Daisy Barry.

All right, got her.

She's pretty active
on Instagram.

Her last post was from rehab.

Hmm.

You should read.

This is a goodbye letter.

Mr. Barry doesn't expect
to come out of this alive.

People have started posting
about the police presence.

We knew this would happen.

That was Austin.

Eric has a daughter,
college age.

He left her
a goodbye letter.

- Where is she?
- In a treatment center
in Wasilla.

We should reach out.
She might be able to help.

We should. Find her. Now.

I can drive. No, I can't.
My car's in the lot.

Here. Take my Range Rover.
It's in the back alley.

Range Rover?

Never drove a car
that cost more than my house.

Do you know who first
sounded the alarm

on the greenhouse effect?

I don't know.
Some Harvard jackass?

No.

It was Exxon.

1977. They funded a study.

Their own scientists discovered
that CO2 from carbon emissions

was catastrophic to the Earth.

They recommended that
Exxon lead the charge

in alternative fuel sources.

But they didn't.

No. They buried it.

It didn't resurface
until reporters dug it up.

Finding the truth is like...

climbing out of a well.

You have to pile fact
on top of fact.

When you're struggling
just to keep the lights on

or put food on the table,

facts don't matter much.

Facts matter because the anger
is fueled by misinformation,

and that comes from
so-called "trusted sources,"

like your friend Dennis.

Yeah, well, Dennis describes
the world I actually live in.

He does.

He understands that people
are struggling.

They feel abandoned,
pushed to the back of the line.

But he also exploits that pain
until anger metastasizes

into an idea--
someone needs to pay.

And then you pick up a gun.

Not him. You.

Hello?

Good morning, Mr. Barry.

My name is Laura Cole.

I'm with the APD's
Crisis Negotiation Team.

We have units
outside the building,

but I want to assure you
nobody is coming in.

- I just want to talk.
- Okay. Talk.

First, can you tell me
how Eileen Fitzgerald is?

She's fine.
For the moment.

"Deranged Anchorage Man Takes
Journalist Hostage at TDA."

So now I'm deranged, huh?

Why do you keep looking
at that?

Just waiting for you
to finish reading.

Stop talking.

All right. Where are
these messages coming from?

Are these coming from inside?

They could be coming
from anyone with a computer.

Stop lying to me!

Tell me where these messages
are coming from.

Come here.

He knows.
He's coming for me.

Gabriel, he's going to find you.

Try to stay calm
and do what he says.

We're doing everything we can.

Get Roz on the phone.

Tell her we need Dennis
to call Eric now.

Get over here.

- Come here! Get over here!
- Hey, it's okay.

- Shut up. Come on.
- Stop!

- Come with me.
- Please,
please, please.

"Confirm at 9:17 p.m.
last night,

Eileen Fitzgerald
was taken hostage

by a disgruntled oil worker."

- Okay, next tweet.
- Go.

"#Breaking-- Moments ago,
a second reporter who was hiding

in the TDA building
was also taken hostage.

Anchorage PD is on the scene.

So far, the gunman
has been unresponsive."

In the corner! Stay down!

Let me explain.

Shut up!

Just sit there.

You tell your guys to stay back
right now.

Huh? You hear me?

Oilman223, hey.

Dennis Gibson here.

- What?
- That's right.

Quite a circus down
at The Daily Alaskan.

Just curious what your--
what your take is.

How'd you get my number?

You listed it
when you subscribed.

Yeah, well...

I haven't really
been following the news.

Yeah, it's all over Twitter.
Just... what's going on?

I'm just-- I'm just doing
my part. That's all, Dennis.

Okay, well,
I just wanted to make sure

that you and everyone else
was safe

and handling the situation
in the right way.

It's handled.

E-Eric, listen, man,

I use language sometimes
to fire people up.

- But I-I never meant--
- You never meant what?

A word of it?

They got to you,
didn't they?

What? No.
No one got to me.

They got to you.

No one-- Eric.

He's gone.

Wait, Roz, you saw me.
Hey, I tried.

You--
You can't put this on me.

I'm not the criminal here.

You sure about that?

You think
that was clever, huh?

Having Gibson call me?

Mr. Barry,
I don't know any Gibson.

If someone else called you,
that didn't go through us.

Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah,
you wanna play me?

Go ahead.
See what happens.

That is not our intention,
Mr. Barry.

I promised you we would keep
our distance.

We have and will continue to,

but I need you to negotiate
with me in good faith.

Then stop playing games.

No games.
I promise.

We know you are holding
two people inside now.

Is anyone hurt?

No. No one's hurt.

Good.

Now, why don't we start
with what you want.

What I want, huh?

Your demands.
Can you share that with me?

Offer to let Gabriel go.

I can't leave you
with him.

Mr. Barry?

Yeah, I'm s--
I'm still here.

Trust me, Eric.

It will buy you some time
and good will.

I'll call you back.

This type of traumatic news
could cause a relapse,

- so I'm concerned that--
- You're concerned?

Some nutjob is holding a gun
on two of our colleagues.

You heard that part, right?

We'll be as tactful
as we can.

Daisy, these are reporters
from The Daily Alaskan.

They want to talk to you
about your father.

That's my dad in there?

I'm sorry
to spring this on you,

but our friends
are in real danger.

Well, what can I do?

We'd like for you to come back
to the newsroom with us.

If you could just talk
to your dad--

There's nothing
that I can say.

I haven't seen or spoken
to him in years.

Just seeing you there
could help.

He threw me out.
He can't stand me.

That's not true.

He left you a letter
full of regret.

And you can read it,
but what you need to know

is that
he was saying goodbye.

He's not planning on
coming out alive.

You could change that.

Look, my dad,
he doesn't want to change.

He's not well.

I'm the last person
that could reach him.

I can't help you.

- Daisy, please--
- I just can't.

I'm sorry.

Daisy. Wait!

What's on your mind?

I'm not sure.

I'm just tired of feeling
like this.

Of feeling less than.

And being angry...

...at everyone.

Eric, it feels like
we're coming to the end here.

No one's been hurt, which means
you can walk out that door

and not give away
your entire future.

What future?

Can I see that?

What you've been writing?

You don't make me sound
like a monster...

...or an idiot.

You're gonna get this printed?

You have my word.

Well, that's something,
I guess.

That's something.

Eric, where are you going?

Eric, don't.

Eric.

Eileen.

Come to me!
Come to me!

- You're both good to go.
- Thanks.

Never seen anyone die before.

Have you?

I have, yeah.

In Afghanistan.

Eileen.

Are you hurt?

No, I'm okay. Thanks.

Oh, God.

Hey, is, uh,
the bar still open?

We've been here all night.

All of us. Never left.

Even Bob.

He and Yuna went to track down
Barry's daughter.

You're good people.

Thanks.

You're one of us.

Come on.
I'll take you back to the hotel.

Last night,
a man broke into the newsroom

of The Daily Alaskan
and threatened to end my life

because he didn't like the way
I did my job.

I was shocked, of course.

But sadly, I was not surprised.

Several months ago,
a well-respected

investigative reporter
was stabbed to death

outside his Las Vegas home
by a corrupt politician

he exposed.

Physical attacks
on members of the press

have risen dramatically
in recent years.

One only need to turn on
the TV to understand why.

It's become fashionable
for people in power,

right up to those
in the White House,

to delegitimize
print journalists

by calling what we write
fake news

and designating reporters
as "enemies of the people."

There are armies of
talking heads and bloggers,

in the mainstream
and on the fringe,

echoing that message,

not just demonizing reporters,
but dehumanizing them, too.

These attacks put a bull's-eye
on our backs,

and if we don't stand up
against this as a society

and remind
our harshest critics

that liberty depends
on a fair and free press,

the bull's-eye will wind up on
the back of democracy itself.

Pursuit of a common truth
is a responsibility I cherish

and will never,
ever abandon,

even if you put a gun
to my head.

Hi.

It's me.

Yeah.

Uh, I got a favor to ask.