Helen and Dale, and the on-air ‘debacle’ in The Newsreader’s S02E02 💜📺
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To say the evening’s bulletin was a debacle was an understatement.
Helen and their interviewee Stephen Bramhall - chair of the Australasian Firearm Alliance - had got into a heated debate about the proposed firearm regulations, and Rob, after being rushed on air, stumbled over his words.
Lindsay was seething back in the office.
“I want to see this rabble in my office as soon as this bulletin is over.”
When at last the bulletin was finished, Helen and Dale returned to the office to The Walters Report playing on the screen. Their old colleague; Geoff, spoke about how the Massacre had brought out the worst, and he was laying into the actions of a certain network - theirs.
Somehow, he had learnt of the family who had discovered their father had died through News At Six’s footage, and Geoff reminded viewers of the integrity journalists should have in times like this.
“That network, and the newsreader in question was out of line and out of control. She’s clearly lost touch with the values of our community.” Geoff stated on air, to the whole country, and especially the very Victorian community in which they lived.
All Helen could do was watch on silently.
It hadn’t been a surprise when Lindsay suspended Helen from the desk for the duration of the Hoddle Street news period, at Charlie Tate’s order. Helen calmly took the order, turned and left Lindsay’s office, and Dale prompted Lindsay to think of how this decision would fuel the critics.
“Oh Dale, listen, son,” Lindsay exasperated. “You’re doing alright with Charlie Tate, she’s not. And between us, Helen is very lucky this is not a permanent decision.”
Dale was sorrowful, and walked out too, every footstep heavy, noticing that Helen was not in her office, and left to go find her.
As for Rob, he had been chucked out there and couldn’t get his head around the script, but in her heart of hearts, Noelene knew that the on-air stumble had been a sign of something more than that. What exactly, she did not yet know.
