Publishing Good News

At The Times Examiner, editor Jim fights to uphold journalistic integrity while facing pressure from corporate investors Wilbur and Wilf, who want to control the paper’s content. As tensions rise over faith-based reporting, a malfunctioning press threatens the next edition, and a young reporter pushes a major story. But when Wilbur’s estranged daughter arrives with a powerful testimony of faith and redemption, everything changes.

A drama about truth, integrity, and the power of good news, Publishing Good News© challenges us to stand firm in what matters most.

Cast: 13+

• 13+ actors any age, male or female.
• Jim Warren: newspaper editor, a younger grandparent
• Tim Dale: mid 20’s, a newspaper reporter, new to the business
• Oscar Knowles: 40’s, newspaper press operator
• Alfred Evans: 20’s, a computer geek
• Jan Henderson: middle age, the receptionist
• Wilbur McDonald: 40’s, manager of Red Lion Leasing who are trying to take over the newspaper
• Wilf Scott: 20’s, Wilbur’s eager assistant
• Jerry O’Toole: 40’s, seasoned older reporter
• Kookie McDonald: late teen, Wilbur’s daughter, real name Karen
• Bong: late teen, a young street kid, Kookie’s boyfriend
• C1, C2, C3, (and more if available), are Jim’s little grandchildren

Bible Reference: Mark 1:45, Isaiah 52:7 (NIV)
"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'"

Set: blank

Sound: wireless mics if available

Song: none

Lighting: standard

SFX: none

Props:

• desks, chairs and other office materials to indicate office look

Costumes:

• regular clothing except for Kookie and Bong who have far out colourful clothing, hair, earrings, perhaps tattoos, etc

Special Instructions: none

Time: 45

Sample of script (download sample script):

Jim is at desk working, Jan comes on stage

Jan: Excuse me Jim, had a call from Wilbur McDonald, apparently he and his shadow Wilf Scott are outside, they want to see you. I told them you were busy but you know Wilbur, he doesn’t take no for an answer.

Jim: It’s OK Jan, just show them in when they come, I will see them for a bit.

Jan: Fine, but I don’t mind telling you I don’t like those two.

Jim, chuckles: Have to admit they have the personality of a dial tone but they are OK in their own way.

Jan: I don’t like them over the plant, as if it belongs to them. The Times Examiner newspaper has always been independent, now we have those guys over our shoulder, day and night. I know that I shouldn’t say anything, me just only being the receptionist, but what did we need them for anyhow?

Jim, chuckles: Now Jan Henderson! Since when you ever been only an anythin’, including receptionist? Everybody knows you are the real force behind the Times Examiner newspaper!

Jan: I am concerned Jim!

Jim: I know you are Jan, and I appreciate it. Wasn’t my first choice for sure to get involved with Wilbur and Wilf and their Red Lion Leasing, but we had to have a new printing press and banks aren’t smiling sweetly on small town independent newspapers nowadays. And part of the contract for Red Lion to supply the money for the new system was that Wilbur and Wilf are on the board of directors here at the Times Examiner.

Jan: Seems unfair is all, after your family have run things here all these years.

Jim: Well, we simply didn’t have the million dollars to make the upgrade, and (smiling at Jan) I was fairly sure you wouldn’t have that kind of money socked away, not at the wages I have been payin’ you.

Jan, looks off stage: They are here.

Jim: Just send them in Jan. . . . And . . . don’t worry, OK? . . . It will be all OK.

Jan, leaving: Well, . . . I wish I could be as sure about that.

Wilbur and Wilf come on stage as Jan leaves stage, eyeing the two critically

Wilbur: Thanks for seeing us on such short notice, Jim.

Jim: From what I hear from Jan, I didn’t get much choice.

Wilbur: Jim, you gotta realize we are in this together, Wilf and I; we are here to help, make some suggestions where we can. We want to be sure that the new printing system does what is best for you.

Jim: Well, look, I gotta get busy, we got a paper to get out so if you will excuse me . . .

Tim comes rushing on stage

Tim: Boss, got a hot new story, gotta stop the presses, make room for this baby!

Jim: No kiddin’? Son, if I had a penny for every time some hot-shot new reporter laid that line on me I wouldn’t have to still be slavin’ as editor here at The Times Examiner, I wanna tell you!

Tim: You don’t understand sir! This story is a once in a lifetime thing, we cant drop the ball on this one, give the guys at The Daily Express a shot at this one!

Wilbur: Better take a close look at this Jim, never know what it might be. When I recommended that you hire Tim here as a reporter I saw something in him, a nose for the news.

Oscar comes on stage, approaches Jim

Oscar: That piece’a junk is down again!

Jim, chuckling: You surely wouldn’t be referrin’ to our brand spankin’ new Printomatic RGB2200 fully computerized printin’ system from the folks here, (indicates Wilbur and Wilf), at Red Lion Leasing, now would you Oscar?

Oscar: Gotta tell you, I have no idea why we got rid of old Betsy, at least if something went wrong with her, human beings could fix her up!

Jim: It’s progress, Oscar, old boy! Computers are taking over everythin’ nowadays, seems like. Not necessarily sayin’ I like the trend but what are you gonna do? Old Betsy was a great printin’ press in her day but she was all wore out, couldn’t afford to keep her around any longer.

Wilf: No reason why you have any downtime, maybe it's that you haven’t properly setup the process. I have told you a dozen times you gotta go memorize that instruction manual. It will tell you everything you need to know about newspaper printing.

Oscar, now more angry: You trying to tell me something about the newspaper business, I will have you know I was printing newspapers long before you were ever . . .

Wilf: Maybe you been around too long, time to get someone who can . . . .

Wilbur: Guys, guys, gotta remember we are all one team here . .

Oscar: Thirty years using old Betsy, never once missed a deadline. There’s not a chance we are gonna get the morning edition out on time tomorrow morning.

Tim: Excuse me sir, sorry to interrupt but . . . my important story . . .

Oscar: You are new around here aren’t you? Maybe you should figure out that if we don’t get the press running it really doesn’t matter how hot your story might be.

Wilbur: What about Alfred Evans, have you checked with him?

Oscar: Alfred, the computer nerd, the guy who supposedly can make that Printomatic piece’a junk work? Likely cuddled up somewhere with his handheld computer and some high-falootin’ techie book!

Jim: Go find him Oscar, he may be cut from different cloth but he’s an OK guy.

Oscar: Fine, but I still wish we had old . .

Jim: I know, old Betsy. But we don’t and we got a paper to put out, OK? Go find Alfred.

Oscar walks off, muttering to himself

little children walk on stage

Tim: Like I was saying, we need to move on this story . . .

Jim: Not now, Tim, later, OK?

Tim: Later? Later will be too late! This story is not going to . . .

Jim, to children: Hey guys, how's things today?

Tim: What’s with this? This is supposedly a publishing office, not somewhere for some kids to go screaming around!

Jim: What you talkin’ about? This is not “some kids”, this happens to be my grandkids! I admit I didn’t ask your approval before bringing my grandbabies here to my office at the Times Examiner; actually, didn’t realize I was supposed to.

Tim: Sorry, I didn’t know, I didn’t realize, it's just that this story needs .. . .

Jim: Yes, I agree with you Tim! Your story needs some work. So my kinda strong suggestion is that you high-tail it over to your desk and do some checking on sources and facts, flesh the story out.

Tim: But . . .

Jim: You have somethin’ more to say son?

Tim: Fine, I am going!

Tim, mumbling, goes to desk. Wilbur and Wilf watch unhappily as Jim turns attention to children

Jim: Ever notice after folks talk to me they leave muttering?
(to children)
You guys won’t go and give me a rough time will you?

C1: Hi Poppa. Got any candy?

C2: Course Poppa’s got candy, Poppa’s always got candy, silly!

Jim, smiling proudly: Likely I am all out.

C3: Lift me up, so I can look in your pockets Poppa.

C3 gets up on Jim’s lap, finds candy in Jim’s pocket, hands out to C1 and C2

C3: Silly Poppa!

C1: What do you do here Poppa?

C2: Poppa makes newspapers, don’t you Poppa?

C1: Mom says that all the news is always bad news.

Jim: Well, it's true there is a lot of bad news around. But we try to have good news in our paper too.

C3: Like what kind of good news Poppa?

Jim: Well, me, I kinda like the birth announcements, I think those are really good news. Why I remember every one of you had your pictures in the paper when you were born.

C3: They didn’t have any choice, seein’s how the paper belongs to you, right Poppa? (proudly) They would hardly say no to my Poppa!

Jim: Wouldn’t of mattered, you guys bein’ as knockout gorgeous as you are, they wouldn’t dare leave your pictures out of the paper.

C1: What else is good news in the paper?

Jim: Well, we got an article today about a guy who is going around collecting clothing for people who can’t afford to buy clothing. And another about some doctor has found a cure for a really bad disease.

C2: So I guess you are right, there is lots of good news.

C1: And good news has gotta be told, right Poppa?

Jim: Yep, for sure, is true. Good news does for sure need to be told.

Wilbur, clears throat: Excuse me Jim, don’t mean to break in on family chit-chat but Wilf and I
have done some nosing around here, put together an outline of some changes we think could help out the overall operation here at the Times Examiner.

Jim: Well, that’s good, I will have a look, first chance I get, I’ll get back to you. Now if you will excuse me . . .

Wilbur: This is very important Jim, will only take a few minutes. Now there’s no real secret that the Times Examiner has a reputation of having an ultra-conservative editorial policy.

Jim: Ultra-conservative editorial policy? That “no-secret” is news to me. The Times Examiner reports the news the way we see it.
(to children)
Listen, you guys get goin’ find your moms, we will talk more later.

children leave, yelling out “See you later, Poppa”, “Thanks for the candy Poppa”, “Love you Poppa”

Jim: Now then, you two, say what you got to say.

Wilf: In today’s society successful newspapers have a more liberal bias.

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