All language subtitles for The Newsreader S02E02 People Like You and Me 720p WEB-EN

HOST: News At Six's
very own golden couple of news.

Please welcome the magnificent Miss
Helen Norville and Mr Dale Jennings.

INTERVIEWER:
Geoff, Saturday's the first time

that you'll be in direct competition

with your former colleagues
at the News At Six.

EVELYN: With Kay back from London,
I'll be doing all the favourites.

People say I'm a bit like Keating,
actually,

just a sort of, uh...
certain gravitas or something.

ROB: I thought you wanted to start
telling the office post-election.

NOELENE:
Well, not the very next day.

You've maintained
a dignified silence.

It's time
the truth about her emerged.

Helen...

It's just she's so shrill
and aggressive.

I reckon we give her
a couple of months to pull it in.

If she can't...

..we talk replacements.

(LIQUID TRICKLES)

(CUTLERY CLATTERS)

(LIQUID TRICKLES)

(CUTLERY CLATTERS)

CHARLIE:
My father was a print newsman.

To him, a broadsheet under one arm

was the mark
of the refined gentleman.

LINDSAY: Hear, hear.

To me, it was like a wall that he
put up every morning at breakfast.

Oh. Mm.

See, TV news is not like that.
Not anymore.

Television...

..is for the whole family.

So, I'd like to propose a toast

to the News At Six family.

To us. Cheers to you all.
News At Six family.

News At Six.
To us.

Welcome.
GERRY: Cheers.

Which brings me to the main event.
Marta, if you wouldn't mind.

Here we go.

Drum roll, please, Robert.
Ah.

(DRUMS)

Well done, son.

(IMITATES TRUMPETING)

Hey! Yeah! There you go!

That's another promo.

Nice.
Yeah. Our biggest yet.

Especially for the '88 bicentennial.

Yes. 1988. Yep.

The year Australia is gonna chuck
itself a year-long birthday party.

How good?
Mm.

We are going to be central
to Bicentennial Cup.

Actually,
we're gonna BE the bicentennial.

That's right, we are.
We are going to be the bicentennial.

That's completely right. And, Dale,
you will be covering the pageantry.

Now, mate, if it floats, flies
or flounces, it's for you.

You'll be all over it like a rash,
mate.

And, Helen,

you'll be covering Prince Charles
and Princess Diana, of course.

Oh, come on.
Oh, come on yourself.

It's a major international event

and they're major
international celebrities.

And speaking
of international celebrities,

we welcome the newest member
to the News At Six team.

Gerry. Hey!
Good to have you, mate.

Now, you will be in charge
of the international perspective.

You will be doing
a shitload of satellite interviews

all over the world.

And some of the guests
we've got lined up for you, Gerry,

they are top shelf.

We've got Jackie Collins,
Joan Collins, Barbara Cartland.

Uh... Mel Gibson - our Mel.

That's good.
Zsa Zsa Gabor.

(CHUCKLES)
Zsa Zsa Gabor,

Cliff Richard and Danny La Rue.

And it's gonna be called...

..Celebrity

BOTH: Smorgasbord.

(LAUGHS)
Bloody good, though, right?

So, is this gonna be the whole year

or just the days
leading up to the event?

All...year...

..long.
It's gonna start in December.

Of course. December.
Hence the promo. (CHUCKLES)

What we want
is, when you sweep over to us,

we want to feel it coming home.

Yeah.

Mm.

What about
the Aboriginal perspective?

(HALF LAUGHS)

Well... Uh...

(CLEARS THROAT)

I didn't check.

And, uh...

..Ernie Dingo was taken, so...

Well, we have the...
the Irish comedian perspective,

but we can't have
a single Aboriginal person?

Oh, come on!

Helen, honestly, look,

Ernie Dingos -
they don't grow on trees.

Come on. Come on.
Don't worry about them, alright?

We don't need them.

We've got the team here
to cover all the bases.

Come on, Helen. Mm!

We've got the newsman,
the sportsman, the comedian.

And a woman.

The perfect cross-section
of Australia.

Yes. The faces of a nation, right?

Actually, that's bloody beautiful.

Um... You might wanna
write that down.

I don't think anyone at this table
is gonna forget that one, Charlie.

'A' or 'the'?

'A'. "Of a."

"Of a." "Of a." Yep.

Mm. That's good.

I am not gonna go trawling
up and down the East Coast

looking at fucking dresses.
Oh, yes, you are.

And you're gonna do it with
your lovely Helen Norville smile

because, if you don't,
little Chuck's gonna turf you out.

Me or you?

MARTA: Excuse me, sir.
I've got a drink, thanks.

There's a telephone call for you.
What do you want?

It's the newsroom.
Oh, my God.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

I've got some
deeply distressing news.

Charlie Tate has a double jacuzzi
in his en suite.

What?
Yeah.

And a two-metre-wide chandelier
down that hallway.

He does get a lot of things
imported.

Um...

I've got a little source
in Charlie's office.

Last week, I took a look
at some audience testing.

You're getting
very promising audience scores.

Do you have a copy?

No.

But I can say you're almost at 30,
on par with Helen,

which is astonishing
after only a year.

You're cited as...

..'trustworthy' and 'consistent'.

Were there negatives?

Oh, yeah,
but everyone gets negatives.

What are they?

'Robotic' and 'stiff'.

Uh...
Right, there's been a shooting.

There's gunmen in...in Clifton Hill.

What?
Clifton Hill?

Dennis said first shots
were reported 15 minutes ago

and they're firing into traffic.

Are we breaking into...
Can I use this phone?

There's little information,

there's no footage.
That's fine. Dale?

You're going in blind.
I'm just gonna...

We should avoid Plunkett and Hoddle.
They'd have closed those roads off.

(PHONE LINE RINGS)

Come on, Noels. Pick up. Pick up.

(PHONE LINE RINGS)

Pick up.

VOICEMAIL:
G'day. You've reached Rob...

Shit!

Thank you, Charlie.

Thanks for having me.
No worries, mate.

(ENGINE STARTS)

(TYRES SKID)

Dennis!

Dennis!

Who have we got at the scene?

DENNIS: Brian and Ross.
I sent them straight there.

How many shooters are there?

Well, the cops reckon
there's at least two.

What? They don't actually know?

Well, it could be a gang
from the sound of it.

Locals are calling us non-stop. They
reckon Hoddle Street's a war zone.

When are we gonna get some footage?
I don't know.

Even without footage, we've got
enough for a three-minute brief.

More if we cover recent shootings.

Yeah. I mean, people who want
the information sit at the phones.

We can be on the desk in 10.

(HELICOPTER ROTORS WHIRR)

RADIO NEWSREADER:
Reports of shootings have emerged.

Several civilians
have reportedly been hit

with the total number of casualties
unknown, as ambulances await...

POLICE: No, no.
Sorry, mate, this road's closed.

(GUNSHOT)
Agh!

Shots fired. Shots fired.
(GUNSHOT)

Back into your car!
Sir, get back into your car!

We need back up.

(STARTS ENGINE)

Shit!
Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

Sorry, mate! Sorry!
You right there?

Sorry!
Get out of here. You can't be here.

(TYRES SKID)

(TYRES SKID)

Noels!

Noelene!

(SIGHS)

(BREATHES HEAVILY)

Fuck me!

So, how many casualties are there?

None confirmed yet,
but reports say there's a few.

Is the gunman still at large?
Yes, and still armed.

One just fired
at a police helicopter.

(NEWS AT SIX THEME MUSIC PLAYS)

CREW: 10 seconds!

And six!

Five!

Four!

(NEWS AT SIX THEME MUSIC PLAYS)

Good evening. I'm Helen Norville.

And I'm Dale Jennings.

We interrupt our programming

with breaking news
from the heart of Melbourne

as terror unfolds
on a Clifton Hill street.

(HUBBUB)

Sustained gunfire on Hoddle Street.

Witness accounts described an armed
gunman firing indiscriminately

into passing traffic.

There are reports
of multiple casualties,

but no confirmed death toll
at this stage.

It's also unclear as yet
how many perpetrators...

Noels, have you contacted
St Vincent's Hospital yet?

Um... Not yet, but I will hurry up.
Police are advising stay inside

and motorists
to avoid the area entirely.

Our understanding
is that the shooter or shooters

have fled the scene

but are still at large
and heavily armed.

A manhunt is currently underway.

The timing of police-radio reports

suggest Hoddle Street
endured heavy gunfire

for approximately 45 minutes.

(BIRDS SQUALL)

Dale? Dale. Dale.

Murray's in. They've got the footage.

We're just about
to go through the tapes.

DENNIS:
OK. So, this would be what time?

BRIAN:
This is when we first got there.

It was just before you could hear
the helicopters, so...

It was 9:45
when the initial gunfire died down.

That's when I left to head here.
Yeah, right.

Wait, I thought you lived
out in Burwood?

I was...visiting a friend.

OK, so,
now we're moving up the scene.

Shooters had already split, but we
got the smashed-up cars, the ambos.

OK, so, you guys
were the only crew out there?

Yeah. For ages.
Yeah, right. Bloody heroes, eh?

First on the scene.

MURRAY: Is that a dead body?

Yeah, they just left him there.

Am I cutting around that or...

No, I mean, we should keep it, right?

DALE: What?
He's in every second shot.

Yeah, because
no-one fucking moved him for hours.

Yeah, Jean, is Lindsay...
Yeah. Alright. Thanks.

We're not showing dead bodies.

We can show dead bodies, man.
We've shown dead bodies before.

That Beirut footage was worse
than this. Vietnam definitely.

On a Melbourne street?
So, it's OK to show overseas bodies

but not local ones?
We can just stay on the wider shot.

Alright, what have you got?
A shot of a body.

Ooh. Body.

Right, if we're gonna make the hour,
we've got to hurry up.

So, Lindsay, what do you reckon?

Um...

We're the only network
with these images?

Mm-hm.

Run the bloody things in
with a big graphic -

"First on the scene."

I can't cut a story in 15 minutes.

No, you just use the raw footage
and we'll talk over it.

DALE: Oh...

Come on, let's go, man.

15 minutes. Hurry up.
Alright, alright, alright.

Do you wanna do this together?

I don't think rolling raw footage

just hours after the event
has happened

is a good idea.
Oh, Christ Almighty.

Hey, they've released the identity
of the shooter.

It's just the one?
Yeah. He's alive and in custody.

Oh, my God. He's just a kid.

Discharged from the army
about a fortnight ago.

Also, the official death toll
just hit six.

Alright, no, we both haven't slept.
We're exhausted.

I think we should wait
until the footage has been cut.

No, I'm going on now.
You can do the edited version later.

(NEWS AT SIX THEME MUSIC PLAYS)

CREW: And in six!

Five!

Four!

(NEWS AT SIX THEME MUSIC PLAYS)

Good morning. I'm Helen Norville.

Police have now arrested
a 19-year-old former military cadet

in the wake
of last night's shooting spree,

which has left six confirmed dead

and another 18 people wounded.

News At Six
was the first on the scene,

and we can now reveal
exclusive footage of the aftermath.

We're now seeing Hoddle Street
in the wake of the massacre.

They're airing the footage already.

They're the only ones
airing footage.

Shattered glass.

Shocking reminders
of a night of terror,

where motorists going about
their lives were caught...

The kids
wouldn't have left for school yet.

Yeah, I know.

If it bleeds, it leads.

None of the victims
have yet been named.

But we do understand
a formal identification process

is currently underway.

(GASPS) God.

(GASPS)

And we're out!

JEAN: It may be better
to call the police or to...

Bludging.
We do understand.

I might need you to take this.
What do you mean?

I'm so sorry. Would you mind holding
for just one moment?

I promise I'll be right back.

A family's called in.
They're very distressed.

Well, just say we appreciate
the call and we apologise.

They were watching the news

and they think they spotted
their father's sedan in the footage.

Oh, not our footage?

They saw their father dead
on television.

Oh, for...

(GRUNTS)

Jen, stop.
What's going on?

Anyway, I should make tracks.

Here, take some.

Oh, no, I can't, I can't, Mrs Kim,
I'm driving, but, uh...

Gamsa hapnida.

Noels, can I have a quick word?

Mm.

(SIGHS)

They're still looking.

(LAUGHS)

They're driving me around the bend.

Oh, they just want you safe.

Yeah, and I am. I am safe.

Yeah, I know. I know.

Hey, listen, um...

Dennis asked me today
if we were a couple.

When?

Hey? Uh... This arvo.
He just pulled me aside and said,

"Are you and Noelene an item?"

What did you say?

I said there was nothing going on.

Yeah, and what did he say
after that?

I don't know, Noels,
he...he didn't ask about it again.

He had a million things happening.

If you don't see us having
a future together, just tell me.

What?
Well, you never wanna tell anyone.

You know what's at stake for me
if we tell the office and...

You didn't think your parents
would be alright with it,

and they came around.

They accept it,

but they haven't told our community
or my family back in Korea.

Oh, brilliant.
So, THEY think I'm bad for you too?

No! I...
No.

No.

I'm just being cautious

because I care about us
and I want to protect us.

Yeah, so do I.

I...

Look, maybe I'm just...
it's catching up with me,

the lack of sleep or something,
but I should go.

(CAR DOOR SHUTS)

(ENGINE STARTS)

(SIREN WAILS)

(HELICOPTER ROTORS WHIRR)

(GUNSHOT)

(GUNSHOT)

I'm afraid this is all we've got
for tonight.

It's great. Thanks.

Mate, uh...
I know you probably get this a lot,

but, uh...
(CHUCKLES)

..you were a brilliant player.

Yeah.

I reckon the Saints could do
with a few more guys like you.

Oh, thank you.

That's, uh...
Anyway, listen, what do I owe you?

Oh, 20 bucks.
20 bucks?

20 for the night.
Five extra for guests.

But, for you, I'll waive it.

What? Oh, no, no. It's just me.
No, it's alright, mate.

We're very discreet.
(CHUCKLES)

(EXHALES HEAVILY)

DENNIS: OK, great. Good, good, good.

So, now, what do we have
on the background on the shooter?

I think I found
one of his old schoolmates.

She's pretty nervous to speak,
but I think I can get her there.

Yes, do it. Do it, do it.
Keep finding others. OK?

I wanna know everything
about this guy -

childhood trauma, drugs,
trouble getting laid.

OK? Anything
that made this guy a bloody psycho.

I think that we should interview
Stephen Bramhall.

Who?
Gun lobbyist?

Yeah.
Who, Noelene?

We interviewed him when they caught
the Kimberley killer. Gun rights.

Yeah. Nearly every letter
to the editor this morning

is about tightening gun control.

I think that there's about to be

a really big shift
with gun legislation.

In Victoria?
No, nationwide.

Ha! Good luck with that. (LAUGHS)
This gun lobbyist is pro guns?

Yeah, he's...he's pro shooter.

Ah, I don't think we should putting
a shooter on the desk right now.

I think now's exactly the time
we should be doing that.

I mean, it's...
it's making somebody answerable.

LINDSAY: Dennis!
Uh... In here.

OK, Helen, look,
we'll just send a crew out.

No, I think
we should do it on the desk live.

(SLAMS DOOR)

Right, we, uh...

We are softening our approach
to Hoddle Street.

What?

Last night a family rang in.

They recognised the body
of their father in our footage.

They learned about his death
by watching us.

That... That angle was so wide

there's no way
that they'd be able to identify a...

Oh, shush up, Helen. Shush up.

They recognised the car.

I think we should apologise
on the desk.

No, no. Christ, no, no, no.

We're dealing with this privately.
I don't want this going public.

And no-one in this room
wants this going public.

Jean is dealing with them directly.

I think maybe I should call
the family personally and...

Oh, Christ, Helen, take a breath!

Honestly.

I mean, haven't YOU done enough
already?

You are the last person

that should contact
that poor, bloody family.

You were the one
that signed off on that footage.

(GROANS)
You see, now, I remember someone

that looks a lot like you
running around the newsroom,

pointing to the phone, saying,
"People want some information!"

Well, THEY'VE been giving US some
information, Helen - complaints,

hundreds of them
about our coverage -

too confronting -

but mostly
they're complaints about you.

Too uncaring. Too abrasive.

Too cold!

You!

OK, so, gun lobbyist
off the table then, eh?

Tell me that's a fucking joke!
If it's not, I'm strangling someone!

It was an interview.
It wasn't gonna be traumatic.

It wasn't gonna be confronting.

Jesus, Helen!
We have to talk about gun laws.

I think it's one thing
to cover gun laws,

I think it's another thing
to put a gun nut on the desk.

Dale, thank you. He is gone.

Alright, we are going to take

a gentler approach to this story,
a softer approach.

We're going to be doing bios
of the victims.

We're doing hero stories
on the first people on the scene.

Mm. Orders from little Charlie?

Well, Helen, that's the way
it's going to be tonight.

(PHONES RING)

You didn't have to cut me down
like that.

We should never
have shown that footage.

I agree. OK?
The footage was a mistake.

But to be fair, the police really
should have told the family by then.

They will never get that image
out of their heads.

Dale, I have been doing this
much longer than you.

Now we can back away
from confronting footage,

but we cannot
back away from gun laws.

The whole country is on the brink
of a colossal change,

and it is our job to report it.

And you really think
the best way to do that

is by putting a gun lobbyist
on the desk tonight?

I do.

I'll talk to Lindsay.

Great.

(DOOR SLAMS)

EVELYN: I can't tell you how much
I appreciate this, Cheryl.

This event is so ill-timed.

No, it's good to have a distraction.

I can't listen to it anymore.

The details are just ghastly,
aren't they?

Yeah, I had nightmares about it.

KAY: Hey!

In here, darling!

(WHISPERS)
Promised she'd be here by 10:00.

Anyway, let's not talk about it
anymore.

Talk about what?
Hey.

The madness on the streets.

What?

The shooting spree in Clifton Hill.

Is this the first
you've heard of it?

Your father
dedicated his entire program to it.

I got rid of my telly.

(GASPS)
What?!

That's all Scott and I ever did,

we just sat there every night
getting square eyes.

Was it... I mean...

How many people...

Uh...

At least six dead
and dozens wounded.

Jesus.

I must say,
I was shocked at your coverage.

Airing a dead body on morning news.

I know.

Oh, and you wanna know
the worst thing?

That man's family,

they saw it and they rang in.

What?!

Yeah. That's how they found out
he was dead.

That's awful.
Oh!

Goodness!

Oh, uh...look,

why don't you get started on Kay?

Mm.

What can I get you to drink?

Yeah, I'll have a white
with three, please.

I'll just have a vodka, please.

Do you have to watch it?

I mean, can't you just
stay in the make-up room?

Uh... Well, Helen does most of it,

so, I've got to be there
for touch-ups.

Shit.

Yeah, I try and look away,
but she describes it all.

I don't know how she does it.
It's like it doesn't affect her.

Mm.

I'd be a mess
if I had to talk about it all.

(KNOCKS)

Yeah.

Sorry.

I know you're busy,
but can I run something by you?

Sure.

It's a personal question.

(CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY)

Um... (CLEARS THROAT)

I know that you and Dale are...

..so, I thought
you might be a good person to...

(EXHALES SHAKILY)

Rob and I are together.

Yeah.

Um... Hm...

We've tried to keep it quiet,

but now Dennis suspects,

and Rob wants to say something,

but I'm worried it would
change things in the office,

how I'm seen.

Well, it will.

So, I guess you just have to ask
yourself, "Is he really worth it?"

He is.

OK. Well, just be prepared for
a lot of gossip, a lot of innuendo.

And they're gonna look at you
like you're Rob's little girlfriend.

I'd recommend investing in a suit
and stop dressing like a schoolgirl.

You're a producer now, Noelene.

Be assertive and stand your ground.

Anything else?

No.
OK.

Thank you, Helen.
Mm-hm.

DALE: A fellow Duntroon cadet
described him as an immature boy

obsessed with fantasies...

LINDSAY: Christ,
I better not regret this, Dale.

..discipline required of a soldier -

a toxic combination
that erupted into violence.

As the initial shock
of Hoddle Street subsides,

the community now turns its gaze
to gun legislation.

Joining us tonight
is Stephen Bramhall,

chair of the Australasian
Firearm Alliance.

Stephen, welcome.
Thank you for having me.

Stephen, could you talk us through

the firearms used
in the shooting on Sunday night?

Well, the thing you have to
understand about those guns

is it's not unusual to have
a spread of firearms like that.

The Mossberg pump-action shotgun

and the Ruger semi-automatic rifle -

farmers might typically use them
to control vermin.

And, Dale, you're Bendigo stock,
you'd know that.

And the third weapon?

It was another rifle, a Norinco M14.

And the Norinco is military-grade,
correct?

Yes.

I assume he was qualified
from his time in the Army Reserve.

And all three weapons
were owned legally.

Well, the facts about the gunman

paints a portrait of a rather angry
and volatile young man.

How was he able to gain a gun licence
in the first place?

Well, Helen, psychological unfitness
is hard to catch.

This is a man who scored 100%
on the test for his licence

and who passed the psych evaluation

for Australia's
finest military academy.

I mean, it does cause grave concern
about Duntroon's screening process,

don't you think?
Well, you'd have to ask them.

He's a slippery bastard, isn't he?
It's good, it's good.

If there are calls to toughen
firearm legislation, Stephen,

what restrictions would you welcome?

Mm. No, none of them.

Ah.
But we've...

We've already tightened gun laws,
and this still happened.

Restrictions just allow the state
to better control its citizens.

Mm. So, you believe that civilians

should be able to just walk around
with military-grade weapons,

even if that means something like...
No, no, no, no, no, no, easy, Helen.

Jesus.
At the end of the day

responsible gun owners aren't
to blame for this, that looney was,

and I think you in the media
also bear a lot of responsibility...

Go to sports now.
..for what happened...

Now!

(PHONE RINGS)

CHERYL: Yeah?

Cheryl, get Rob onto the desk now.

Now!

They want you on the desk.

What? Already?
Yeah, yeah, right now.

What?
Come on.

Here!

You know, it's a common response
for gun lobbyists, isn't it,

to blame everyone and everything

except the readily available
firearms?

Sick minds do this kind of thing
for one reason alone -

attention,
attention that you give them.

When this happened, you lot
couldn't have been more excited.

That is not accurate at all.

You literally
put his name in lights.

What a shitshow.

(PHONES RING)

This happened because a civilian
was able to walk into a shop...

Ohh...
..on High Street

and walk out with a military-grade
weapon made for war zones.

Now, if you condone that,

are you not essentially condoning
all the deaths on Hoddle Street?

Do you know what your network
was broadcasting on Sunday

when all those people died?

A crime thriller with a body count,
I'm told, in the double digits.

Now, you said yourself this boy's
head was full of fantasies of war.

Where do you think they came from?

Well, I'm afraid
that's all we have time for.

Can I have an answer?
Thank you very much,

Stephen Bramhall,
for a very spirited debate.

But right now we're joined
by Rob Rickards

and all the latest in sport.

Jesus, Dennis.

Why did you agree to this?

Why?!

ROB: Australia's highest
test run scorer, Greg Chappell,

has won a place on the
tountry's cock... (CLEARS THROAT)

..rather,
the country's top cricket admin...

Let's try that again, shall we?
He's won a place on the...

Get it out, you cloth-haired
bastard. Get it out!

(SIGHS) Sorry.

The former test captain is already
a national selector. Chappell...

This is a fucking debacle!

A fucking debacle!

I wanna see that rabble in my office
as soon as his bulletin is over.

Get him in!

Brett McKenna has more.

CREW: And we're out!

BRETT: Any doubt surrounding
Chappell's ability to sit on the ACB

is whether he's had enough
experience as an administrator.

Suggestions he needed to serve
an apprenticeship

are rubbish in his eyes.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

OK, so, Geoff, we got the latest
version of the script is on autocue.

Sorry, Paul. I've amended it again.

Uh...

I think I've added 40 seconds or so.
I'll make the additions as I go.

OK...
30 seconds!

Don't worry.
I won't mention the News At Six.

At least not by name.

Yeah. OK.

(CLEARS THROAT)

Good evening.
I'm Geoff Walters, and welcome to...

Dale!

I wasn't gonna just let him continue

spouting absolute bullshit.
We agreed to maintain a calm tone.

I wasn't the one losing it.

Hey. Geoff's show just started.
I think something's happening.

It's brought out some of the finest
qualities of Melbourne.

Unfortunately, it has also
brought out some of the worst.

I'm talking about the actions of one
television network in particular.

What should be a vital community
service provided by the media

has clearly become
a race to the bottom,

and the approach taken
by the network in question

represents a troubling new low.

Yesterday morning,
mere hours after the tragedy,

the network rushed to air,

crowing that they had been first
on the scene.

But in their haste

they aired footage
of a deceased victim

before the police
had a chance to inform his family.

A loving family
learned of the senseless murder

of their husband and father

via a TV news program.

I won't further insult this family
by naming them

or parading them
in front of cameras,

but I do want to offer
my condolences

and my sincerest apologies

on behalf of all respectable media.

I want to assure our viewers

you will not see
any graphic, damaging images here.

Yeah, that's because
you don't bloody have any.

Now, I believe journalists
should conduct themselves

with unwavering integrity
at all times,

but particularly in the face
of a tragedy like this.

Charles Tate on the line for you.

When the pursuit of a story becomes
a desperate scramble for ratings,

we lose sight of humanity.

That network
and the newsreader in question

was out of line and out of control.

Hello, Charlie. How are you?

She's clearly lost touch
with the values of our community.

(STAMMERS) You know,

I technically might be, but other
people did cover the story.

You assured me you go through every
single story with a fine-tooth comb.

So, I'm just a bit confused

how your comb didn't catch
this giant fucking knot.

Well, that, um... That incid...

That... That incident occurred

during an update,

uh...and that is...

..that's Dennis Tibb's
responsibility, I'm sorry to say.

Now, while we're here
on this subject, you know,

apparently, the other day,
Helen was, um...

(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)

NEWSREADER:
But he says it was only due

to quick manoeuvres by the police

that his team
could reach the wounded here.

GUEST: They drove
into the line of...

..what they thought was the line
of fire at the time to protect....

Dale, Helen, in here, please.

Charlie Tate wants you off the desk.

For how long?

Well, for as long as it takes

for the Hoddle Street...story
to die down.

She's off.

This is only gonna fuel the critics.

Oh, Dale. Listen, son...

..you're doing alright
with Charlie Tate.

She's not.

And, between us,
Helen is very lucky

this is not a permanent decision.

Are you OK?
Yeah. Yep.

Just... I hadn't...

I got chucked out there.

I just couldn't get my head
around the script.

Could we go over a couple of things
for tomorrow?

(SIGHS) Now?

I'm pretty buggered. Can we...
Can we do it in the morning?

"Tountry's cock."

Good work, Rob.

(UNDER BREATH) Fuck.

(INSECTS CHIRP)

May I come in for a minute?

Drink?

No, I'm fine, thank you.

No, I mean...

..do I need one?

So, you want me off the desk?

For now, yes.

It's a mistake.

We shouldn't have shown that footage.
I accept that.

But we all signed off on it.
Oh, you all signed off on it?

Yes.
Mm.

And when things like this happen,
you...

..you have to hold your nerve,
you have to keep moving forward...

Something about the story, Helen,

I don't know what it is,
your instincts are just off.

How?

I don't know.
It's just your whole approach.

I mean, it's just gruelling,
it's aggressive,

it's...
A fucking massacre.

Yeah.

What, you want me to soft-pedal this?

No, it's just that I've seen you
cover tragedies in the past, right?

When you were beside Geoff,
Geoff was the star,

you were his counterweight.

You let the news affect you.

It was as if you were channelling
our emotions for us.

I mean, I've seen you cry
on the bloody TV before.

So, because I'm a woman,
that's how I'm supposed to respond?

Yes.

OK.

Then I'll recalibrate.

But I can't do that sitting at home.
I need to be on the desk.

OK.

OK.

If you think you can right the ship,

I will call Lindsay.

But I will be switching on
tomorrow night,

and I need to see that change.

Understood?

(DOOR OPENS)

(DOOR SHUTS)

Rob!

(BIRDS TWITTER, DOG BARKS)

(ON PHONE) I know it's silly,

I'm just not keen
to drive through the city just yet.

It's all clear now, Mum.
They had the road opened in hours.

No, I know, I know.

I'm a bit nervy still,

in the car, thinking about it.

It's getting a bit much.
Some of the stories...

I've got to go, Mum.
I'll call you back, alright?

Alright, love. Bye.
Bye.

You OK?

Yeah.

(CLEARS THROAT)

Alright, well,

the police have released
three more names of the victims,

so, I think we can move away
from the specifics

of the night and the killer.

Noelene's already working on a way
to contact the families.

Dale, I'm not...
I'm not gonna go in today.

What?

I thought you said
Charlie backtracked.

Yeah, he did. But I still think
that my judgement's just kind of...

..just kind of off with this.

I don't think so.
No, you said it too.

Yeah...

I thought
that we focused initially too much

on the horror of the night
and the killer,

but now we have the names
of the victims.

We can focus on their stories.

And I've seen you interviewing
grieving people, Helen, it's...

Dale, I'm not gonna go
and talk to the victims' families.

I'm, like, the last person
that they'd wanna see.

(CLEARS THROAT)

OK.

OK.

Alright.

I'll call you at lunch.

(DOOR SHUTS)

(KETTLE WHISTLES)

(CONTINUES WHISTLING)

(RINGS BUZZER)

(LOCK CLICKS)

Uh...

Uh... That...

..detail that I told you yesterday

about the family that saw
their father on the news?

Yes. Tragic.

Oh, you didn't pass that on,
did you?

Sorry?

Last night?

It... Mr Walters, on his show,

he did, um...
a bit about, like, a speech,

like...quite a long speech...

Cheryl, I would never exploit
a family's tragedy like that.

Oh, I know. (CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY)
Of course not.

I'm shocked that you would even...

No, I... I'm not saying that.

Well, what ARE you saying?

Um...

Uh... (COUGHS)

Sorry. I don't know. Um...

Well, from what I can gather,

that poor family
couldn't get answers

out of the police
or the News At Six,

so, they were trying
all the networks, including Geoff's.

That's how he became aware
of the tragedy

and why he felt compelled to speak.

Oh. Um...

(CHUCKLES AWKWARDLY)
I must've just...

Sorry. I must just
still be a bit rattled or...

(CHUCKLES AWKWARDLY)

Can we just...

Hey, ooh, I had a really good idea

for a hairstyle
for the Variety Club luncheon.

Oh, well,

we'll see.

(SIGHS)

Where were you?
When?

Last night.

I went straight to your place after
I finished work. You weren't there.

Where were you?

I was probably...

What time was it? I, uh...

Maybe probably asleep.

It was 9:30.

The house was totally empty.
Your car wasn't there.

Where were you?

Uh...

Um...

This is not what it sounds like.
I've been staying in a motel.

Not like that.

(LAUGHS) Not like that. I...

Actually, I just needed to...

This is so stupid.

What?

You're fine. I'm fine. I just...

At home...

..I still can't sleep.

The slightest sound,

and it's like
it's still Sunday night.

And me not knowing where you are
and...

(EXHALES HEAVILY)

Hearing those shots...

I'm just fucking such an idiot.

No, you're not.
I am, I...

I was on the other side of the city,

you're fine,

everything that people went through
that night, and, uh...

..here I am,
I still can't sleep in my own bed.

(EXHALES HEAVILY)

It's OK.

GERRY: (OUTSIDE)
And on this week's show we have -

When Did You Pop The Question?

(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)

Oh, my Lord.

(CHUCKLES)

I didn't think it was possible, but
you look even worse than yesterday.

Have you heard?

About the bereaved family,
Geoff's diatribe

or Helen being stood down?

I knew that story
wouldn't play well,

I knew it from the minute I saw it,

but I let her just...go with it

because Helen thinks I'm preoccupied

with the viewers
or what will be popular,

and she's the serious journalist.

Dale, what you're describing
are good audience instincts.

You've got them.

Frankly, yours might be better
than Helen's these days.

When I popped the question,
I was in a field!

(LAUGHS)

(PHONE RINGS)

Hello?

(ON PHONE) Hi. So, get
in the shower. Get camera-ready.

I'm coming over with a crew.

No.

(PHONE RINGS)

I need you to trust me.
I've got an idea.

And I'll be there in 20 minutes, OK?

Bye.

(PHONE LINE BEEPS)

We've done the victims, killer,
cops, politician,

but no-one has looked at the impact
this has had on ordinary people.

You're pitching me vox pops?

I'm pitching a portrait
of a grieving city

trying to piece itself
back together again.

That's vox pops.

Alright.

Alright.

Fucking vox pops. (LAUGHS)

My kids know that street.
It's how we get into the city.

And everyone's talking about it
at their school.

So, how do you explain it to them?

Um... (SIGHS) I just told them that,

"Something really terrible happened,
but YOU'RE safe."

I don't know if I believe it
anymore.

I think the kids can tell
that I don't.

There's posters up on High Street
for all the action movies.

Stallone with machine guns.

You can't see them the same way now.

Do you think that media plays a role
in real-world violence?

I don't know. Maybe.

Well, there's a new Schwarzenegger
movie out next week.

It's bloody called Predator.

Are you gonna boycott the film?

No. Probably still gonna watch it.

But for some there is cause for hope
amidst the fear and sorrow.

A lot of the victims are my age,
early 20s,

so, I guess that really shook me.

I started volunteering
at the helpline that they've set up.

There are a lot of calls
and a lot of hurt,

but it makes you feel
more connected, you know,

because I guess
we've just got to stay together,

especially in times like these.

As ordinary people
demonstrate such courage and grace

in the wake of such a tragedy

simply by carrying on,

we realise
that the spirit of this community

can never be extinguished.

I am Helen Norville, News At Six.

DENNIS: Oh, God.
So, when's it gonna be ready?

What? No, no, no, no.
I need it yesterday.

Well, hurry up.

What?

Rob and I
have something to disclose.

Go on, it's alright.

Oh, great. This is like
a guessing game, is it?

We're seeing each other, mate.
We have been for a bit.

So, uh...you were right.

You're keeping secrets from me.

This won't affect my work.

Lindsay's gonna be painful.
I can deal with Lindsay.

Reception girls
are gonna eat you alive.

Let them talk.

Oh, Jesus, you two. OK, OK, OK.

So...

(SIGHS) ..as far as I'm concerned...

(CHORTLES)

..broadcast it all you want.

Oh, you prick.
Oh, it's a fluff piece.

OK? It's a non-story.

I wouldn't put it any higher
than the fourth segment.

(PHONE RINGS)

(LAUGHS)

Hello? Dennis.

Yeah. Are you done?

BOTH: Yeah.
Yeah.

Uh... Yep.

Oh. (CLEARS THROAT)

Um...

Me?

Um...

Yeah, yeah, I can, um...
I can be there in an hour.

Goodnight.
BOTH: Bye.

(KNOCKS)

Charles Tate rang.
He'd like you to call him, please.

Thank you.

(PHONE RINGS)

Yes?

(ON PHONE) You watched?

As promised, yeah.

As threatened.

And?

Oh, I had a few notes.

Like?

I loved it.

It was exactly
what I didn't know I needed.

It was a great course correction,
so...

More of that, please.

OK.

Oh, and, Helen, um...

..in the future, if any directive
of mine rubs you the wrong way,

uh...my door is always open.

You may regret that.

I'll take my chances.

Sorry. I was asked to come by.

Dennis Tibbs.

Dennis Tibbs for you.

Go through.

How do they get in there?

Who made this decision
to air the footage of the body?

Who signed off on it?

(CLEARS THROAT)

That was, um...

It was discussed as a...as a...
as a team.

There was Lindsay, Helen,
Dale, myself,

and...oh, and our producer, Noelene.

She was... She was... She was there.

It's interesting. Um...

This is strange because Lindsay had
told me that it was your decision.

And yours alone.

(SCOFFS)

(SCOFFS) I mean,
it was a pretty chaotic morning.

There was a lot happening
really quickly.

What are your thoughts
about Lindsay, Dennis?

Just in general, you know,
as a news director.

Oh, in general, Lindsay's...

I mean, he's my boss.

Yeah, it's not what I asked you,
mate.

Lin... Lin... Lin... Lindsay's...

He's hot-headed.

Volcanic...

Yeah.
..you might say?

(IMITATES EXPLOSION)

He's a funny bloke, isn't he?
It's... It's like...

I don't know. It's like
he's stuck in the mid-'70s.

(SIGHS) I think early '60s.

Yeah. (CHUCKLES)

Dennis, who would you say,
in your estimation,

is the best news director
working today?

Um...

Some would say Vincent Callahan
is the best.

Oh, yeah?
Yeah, yeah.

I know him. We started out together.

He's really smart.
He's full of ideas.

I could... I could...

I could suss him out
if you wanted me to.

Mate, forgive me.

I have to ask this question
one more time.

Who signed off on that footage?

Well, um... (CLEARS THROAT)

I was concerned,

so, I called Lindsay, told him
to come and have a look at it,

and he absolutely told us to use it.

Yes.

Yes, I'd appreciate it if you could
suss out this Vincent for me.

Cheers.

You're welcome.

(EXHALES HEAVILY)

(THEME MUSIC PLAYS)

Tonight -
share prices drop around the world.

DALE: And stock markets
are gripped by frantic selling.

My savings...

..that I was relying on, that I put
exactly where you told me to, Dad,

they've been decimated!

Lindsay's in trouble, is he? Why
didn't you go for the job yourself?

Well, mate, no-one that
looks like me is gonna get that job.

That trollop from The Sun,
Donna Gillies, the gossip woman,

she's got something going to print,
she wants a response.

GERRY: A couple of years ago,
someone was keen

to sell a story to her about me,
she needed compensation,

so, now we go to her for every
birthday, every announcement.

We need legal advice right now.

Captions by Red Bee Media

Copyright
Australian Broadcasting Corporation