Bain, Darrell The Focus Factor

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of work other reporters did, nor would he accept the dictates of news directors who routinely reduced
hours of danger to thirty-second sound bites conveying little of the disasters they represented.
He provided follow up and deeply analytical pieces that were truly interesting and informative. At first,
few got by news directors, all of whom considered viewers to have the attention span of a third grader
suffering from ADHD. It was highly favorable viewer response that convinced managers to grant him
longer and longer 'face' time, something almost every reporter craved.
Becoming a household name was important, Jergins knew, but only if his reports were built on substance,
not 'froth for the mindless masses.' His persistence paid off when he was chosen one of the leading
co-hosts of the number one primetime news spot. Public opinion rated him most trusted among
newscasters.
That trust had suddenly become pivotal, as he'd expressed it. The revolution might succeed without him,
but he could improve its chances. He'd immediately have to start browbeating his news director to let him
broadcast stories he wanted in the way he wanted, but by now he had the clout to do it.
Sen. Henrietta Worthington was the final player in the game of taking the country with a handful of
conspirators. She hailed from Tennessee, where she'd won her seat after a corruption scandal so bad it
sent the former occupant packing. One of the few in the country who shot her arrows straight, she'd
managed to swing Tennessee voters' trust in the first third of her first term because she saw the 'king's
new clothes' as nothing but air, most of it hot.
But she was no child at age forty-eight. Her credentials for public office, beyond her sparkling integrity,
were summed up in two words: too good. She was smarter, worked harder, was right more often and
gracious in being so, knew more about the senate than those who'd been there several terms, and exuded
so much charm it left a trail of glitter wherever she went.
And she was hated by those who had none of her values.
Her trademark was hair that reached nearly to the small of her back. She brushed at a tress as she
examined Mary's M.I., then grinned at Lance. "Did you imagine it could be done before you took that
focusing protein?"
Her question drew a laugh, crinkling Lance's face into interesting patterns. "Hell, no. I thought Mary had
gone bonkers. It took a call from Nat--General Foreman--before I was persuaded to take the stuff, but
now everything's changed."
"Which reminds me," Mary said. "Nat wants us to speed things up as much as possible." Her words
drew frowns. "You have reservations about that?"
Henrietta answered first. "I certainly do. Our groundwork for this thing has to be solidly laid and
foolproof before we do anything. I see where it's possible for us to take power. That part's not as hard
as it sounds, with the public mood and everything else going on in government these days. It's how we're
going to keep it once we get it that's the problem. We'll be throwing thousands of people out of their jobs
... heck, tens of thousands if you count all the staffers and secretaries and aides and interns and pages.
They'll raise hell. They'll call for a counter revolt."
"Maybe not," Lance countered. "Maybe that's where I come in. Congress has gotten so goddamned
corrupt and venial they've gotten sloppy, not to mention state and local politicians. Over the past four
years I've filled a few gigabytes with little goodies on one hell of a lot of them, stuff the public had to
swallow but couldn't do anything about. Legal challenges, kickbacks, planned cost overruns into the
billions and billions on pork barrel projects and public works, public lies, distortions, slander, graft, you
name it. And as you both know, news ain't news unless it's fresh and current, so today's bad stuff just
overwrites yesterday's. It's to the point where our public needs a daily fix or they get upset. All I have to
do is drag out the worst of the worst and give the public their fix in one huge dose. They'll choke."
"He's right," Mary agreed. "In the days before it happens, Lance will broadcast all the dirt that's fit to
hear. He'll hint that the whole government is corrupt from top to bottom, that one or both parties are
faking polls to hoodwink voters, and that both are plotting to steal the election from the Freedom
Party--the only party with integrity and the public interest at heart. He'll also aim quite a bit at the under
thirty crowd and minorities. They'll get an earful about where their interests rank in the scheme of
things--right at the bottom."
Lance shook his head. "Hinting, hell. I'm going to say it outright. We've all been hoodwinked. Our
government is run by lawyers, lobbyists, special money interests and big corporations, not elected
representatives, and if the Freedom Party looks like it's going to win they will try their damnedest to steal [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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