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CHAPTER 22
Manhattan, New York Friday, March 3, 2023 9:20 a.m.
LAURA MCALLISTER WAS AS NERVOUS AS HELL AS SHE SAT ON THE SET of Wake Up America, the number one morning program in the country. She could hardly believe she was sitting across from Dante Campbell, the queen of morning television. Earlier in the morning when Laura had arrived at NBC Studios, the show runner had set her up in the green room. Before long, Dante Campbell had walked through the door to introduce herself and welcome Laura to the set. Now, the lights were blinding and her skin was hot. Her armpits were sticky and her blouse clung to her back. Her mouth was cotton dry and she thought about reaching for the glass of water the producers had set on a table next to her, but she worried the glass would slip from her clammy hands. Instead, she stared at the television camera just like she was coached to do and tried to breathe easy, hoping that when she spoke her voice wouldn’t flutter and her words wouldn’t catch in her throat.
The producer yelled last-second instructions and Laura heard a countdown begin. Then, suddenly the set was silent but for Dante Campbell’s voice.
“Journalism is a popular major on American campuses,” Dante Campbell said to the camera in her perfect, practiced pitch. “More than fifteen thousand students graduate each year from four-year programs with hopes of entering the world of journalism. When communication majors are included in the total, the number is even larger. I, myself, was once a journalism major, and I’m sitting here today because of the path I chose in college. But the face of journalism is changing. Social media is allowing a wider variety of voices to be heard, and some journalists are breaking stories in ways not possible just a few years ago. Podcasts, substacks, and other nontraditional outlets are allowing journalists to tell their stories and reach their audience in new and unique ways.
“Laura McAllister is a perfect example. Laura is a senior at McCormack University, a small liberal arts school tucked in the heart of Washington, D.C. Only fifteen hundred students attend McCormack University, which is why Laura’s story is so impressive. As a freshman, Laura spearheaded a small university radio program called The Scoop, which was originally meant to be a casual show about gossip and pop culture that a few of her friends might listen to. Today, Laura is a senior and The Scoop is something much more than a university radio program. Laura has managed to grow her tiny show into something heard around the country, and we’re very happy to have her with us this morning.”
Dante took her gaze from the camera and looked at her guest.
“Laura, welcome to the show.”
“Thank you. It’s great to be here.”
The words came out clearly and without a stutter.
“You’ve become the epitome of making a small voice heard, and heard loudly. The Scoop broadcasts from a tiny studio on the campus of a tiny university. You and McCormack University were kind enough to allow our crew into the studio last week to take some footage. But despite the small size of your microphone, a lot of people are listening to what you have to say.”
“I’ve been really lucky to have such support from the school, and for some of the stories I’ve covered to be so widely distributed.”
“And that’s what I wanted to talk with you about this morning: the distribution of news and information today as compared to years ago, and the way social media is changing journalism. Decades ago, most people got their news from the evening newscast or the local paper. Cable news grew that medium in the nineteen nineties. The advent of the Internet yet again changed the landscape of news. And now social media is repaving the information highway.”
Dante Campbell glanced down to the index card on her lap.
“During your sophomore year, you produced a show highlighting the ways colleges and universities can make campus life, and the college experience as a whole, safer for female students. You secured interviews with a wide range of experts who not only pointed out inherent dangers on college campuses, but offered ideas on how to fix them. Through word of mouth, that episode spread from McCormack University to other campuses. I heard about it and linked to it on my own social media accounts. Now today, many universities, including McCormack, have adopted all or part of the Safe Haven Project you called for. One major strategy of Safe Haven is university-hired and background-tested drivers to shuttle students from off-campus sites safely back to dormitories—an idea that has been adopted by colleges around the country. It’s a remarkable accomplishment when you consider that your episode, just based on the bandwidth of the studio, was meant to reach the fifteen hundred students who attend McCormack University, but went on to reach nearly every campus in the country.”
“Yeah,” Laura said. “I’m still blown away by how big that episode became and how widely adopted the Safe Haven Project has been. I’m really proud of that episode, and grateful that so many administrators were able to hear it. Not just hear it, but listen to the content and take action. And I wanted to pass on my gratitude to you for linking to my story and introducing your followers to The Scoop.”
Dante smiled. “Of course. It was an important and powerful story. You’re a senior now at McCormack University. Where do you see yourself after graduation, and what role do you see social media playing in your career?”
“After graduation I see myself pursuing some form of investigative reporting. Where that will be, and in what form, I’m not sure yet. As far as social media goes, I think there are lots of pitfalls, for sure. Especially for younger kids, and girls, in particular. But I also believe, if used correctly, a lot of good can come from those platforms. I was perfectly happy broadcasting my little campus radio show to anyone at McCormack University who wanted to listen. But I’m thrilled to have found a larger audience, and I understand that with a larger following comes more responsibility to report not just interesting stories, but accurate ones.”
“And that’s a pivot for you. You’ve described yourself as a gossip girl. I think the term you used was ‘Pop-goss’ to describe popular gossip that you oftentimes cover on your show.”
“I’m a pop-culture addict, and I don’t think that will ever change. A big part of my audience loves the show’s take on pop culture, and I don’t see that changing. But yes, once my platform started growing and more people started listening to the in-depth stories I was covering, I did have to pivot. But it was natural for me. I never wanted to be an entertainment reporter. I always planned to cover more hard-hitting topics. The campus safety issue was just the first of, hopefully, many more.”
“Which is a great segue to my next question. What can we expect from you and The Scoop during your final semester at McCormack U?”
“One good thing about being a student journalist, rather than a real one, is that I can pick and choose what I report on, and I do it without deadlines. I have a few things planned for The Scoop before I graduate.”
“Any hints?”
Laura smiled. “I guess you’ll have to tune in to see.”
“Spoken like a true journalist. Great to have you on the show, Laura. Keep up the good work. And I can’t wait to see what blockbuster story you cover next.”
Later that morning, Laura McAllister’s social media accounts topped one million followers. She was, indeed, becoming a force to be reckoned with.
CHAPTER 23
Washington, D.C. Saturday, March 4, 2023 11:58 p.m.
IT WAS LATE ON A SATURDAY NIGHT WHEN THE GIRL FOUND HERSELF alone in a tucked-away room of the fraternity house. Not alone—she was with a guy—but away from her friends she’d come to the fraternity party with. She remembered a dark stairwell and shuffling feet and the guy laughing and urging her on. She remembered a hand under her arm, assisting her up the stairs because her legs were weak and her balance was off. She hadn’t had much to drink, but she had a low tolerance to begin with so it was possible, she tried to convince herself, that she had overindulged. She usually stuck to hard teas and seltzers because they tasted good and were no stronger than beer. Tonight, though, at the fraternity party, she had accepted a red Solo cup filled with punch served from a giant vat behind the bar. Now, her thoughts were cloudy and the room was spinning. The face of the guy who brought her here was blurred and wavy. His voice was garbled like he was talking underwater.
He lifted her arm by putting gentle pressure on her elbow, raising to her mouth the hand that held the Solo cup. He told her to drink up. Despite her reluctance to drink more punch, she obliged. She couldn’t remember the guy’s name now. She and her friends had decided at the last minute to go to the after-hours fraternity party, and the guy she was with now had found her near the dance floor. He’d flirted with her for a while and before long she was talking to him in the corner while her friends mingled. Now, somehow, inexplicably, she was alone with him despite that she couldn’t remember exactly how she had gotten there.
