Contingency in Lingotto
309Please respect copyright.PENANAvTaJVTBy2N
309Please respect copyright.PENANAGieFV4nq38
309Please respect copyright.PENANAELUfH3rZAD
Paulina Fiore, 43, was discovered dead on the kitchen floor with strange bruises after the cops forcibly entered her flat. As soon as he had a suspicion of homicide, the chief detective demanded an autopsy. But following a thorough investigation, the coroner found that a vitamin C shortage was to blame for the death.
309Please respect copyright.PENANA6EW8CMVyiv
Stephanie Brolo, a close friend of Paulina who sources claim, is seen crying and saying, "This is all my fault," in a video that has surfaced on social media.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAGsDDxofRcD
I finish writing the article while drinking my third espresso of the morning at the offices of the biggest newspaper in my city. The golden rule is one coffee per story. I wish I could impart this knowledge to budding journalists, but they all operate in different ways.
309Please respect copyright.PENANA8cwnOr3wm5
I declare to the staff, "I'm sick of tabloid journalism!," after finishing my third random death write-up of the day. I'm ignored by the aspiring writers nearby. They are content to just have a job in the traditional media collapse.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAfRbTCHYTQy
According to Giuseppe, our new Chief Editor, articles about either sex or death get 10 times more clicks than any other kind of content. His editing ideas are as direct as a market fish vendor's approach to selling fish. Before I can concentrate on another piece of investigative journalism, I must undergo another month of ambulance chasing. The extensive government corruption exposé I published last month, which took up half the front page of the print magazine, attracted less online attention than a weekend auto accident or a fight in a bar.
309Please respect copyright.PENANA6QTJl83alm
309Please respect copyright.PENANARzEdp5TzfF
309Please respect copyright.PENANA3NssJt0wlA
“Max?” Standing in front of my desk is Giuseppe. Why haven't you spoken with your friend yet?
309Please respect copyright.PENANAVpuKXYIK3z
“Friend? Whose friend is he?
309Please respect copyright.PENANAxvXMwZnKBj
“Idiot. The pal who always blames themselves. "Young, appealing, and popular online?" Giuseppe says this, his voice becoming louder with each utterance.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAzRjypzGt6V
The name Stephanie Brolo Giuseppe sees how well I remember the details. I didn't major in political science to go after the friends of people who had committed suicide or murder.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAW6JfRFd9vU
“Do it.” He makes a U-turn and storms off. He turns around halfway across the newsroom and exclaims, "Vitamin C! Concentrate on the vitamin C. Max, nutrition-related stories are beneficial for our advertising.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAu3cHd2XD7Z
Several journalists use their mobile devices to take notes. Even a layperson can predict that they will propose a variety of vitamin-related stories during tomorrow's news conference.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAylHKyZ8Sri
I call the pal.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAHZEomqRby8
Max Serafino is speaking. Are you Bianca?
309Please respect copyright.PENANAkGfc9w0BNz
A female voice says, "Yes," but then pauses. Are you working for the police?
309Please respect copyright.PENANAnBzTVewpDs
“No. I support the I mention the newspaper's name. The name has a 137-year history and frequently opens doors.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAf2x9Fz3EVm
"I had assumed that the police would be contacted first. What do you desire?
309Please respect copyright.PENANADj8p3EZT4c
In Italy, the police wouldn't waste their time investigating anything as unimportant as a social media statement. Unless there was a politician or famous person involved.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAfNtVq2iDXy
"I'd want to explain what you mentioned in the popular ItaliaApp video." I bring up the biggest social media app in Italy.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAUb8zx0e7h0
Bianca complains, "That video is wrecking my life."
309Please respect copyright.PENANAaY0U9eSgyh
I regret to inform you of that.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAVCUaQyFuyE
Everyone misconstrued what I said, I guess. Paulina's death had nothing to do with me. Six months prior, she stopped going out and appeared slimmer. She gathers her breath and says, "Perhaps I pushed her in this path. Only twice after she stopped seeing me did I call her. I should have given it more effort and visited her house.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAQhrefY0aBP
“Yes?”
309Please respect copyright.PENANA8FVBClicJk
She says, "Thanks for calling, but I don't know who you are. It's all too much."
309Please respect copyright.PENANAC5Boei8wQj
The mobile device's display abruptly goes crimson. She ends the WhatsApp conversation and logs off.
309Please respect copyright.PENANArN8tM1WIl1
"Good job on the interview with Paulina." One of my old pencils gets picked up by Giuseppe, who then gently rubs it between his fingers.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAYoBoJPyXFS
"No issue, boss," I was able to create a piece on a buddy who was heartbroken and a big essay about eating disorders using the scant information I was provided.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAboTSxyPr4V
Good pencil. Quixotically, he looks at the Castelli wooden pencil. "Max, this newsroom is not appropriate for someone your age. You, however, always manage to land on your feet.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAJZCFLGeCHo
The Turin Tiger, perhaps? I suggest. I'll take that for the byline.
309Please respect copyright.PENANA0zfOQuKugX
I can only hope for a nickname that sounds meaningful these days. I remember the Elysian Times, when conventional newspapers, rather than Google, earned all the advertising cash, when I was flown to Rome to interview government ministers.
309Please respect copyright.PENANA3XqjxpCp4B
One of the first things a beat reporter does after receiving a story assignment is to get in touch with the family. I find the father of Paulina on social media and introduce myself:
309Please respect copyright.PENANAqqB7ILZuIg
I'm Max Serafino, a journalist with the Turin Register. I want to make sure I have all the facts straight because I'm writing a story on the sad occurrence involving your daughter. Please get in touch with me as soon as possible.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAhh5kP0ontp
I get a response that seems to have been copied and pasted:
309Please respect copyright.PENANAY3G9jpLXJV
Please don't contact us again; we have nothing to say. A family named The Fiore
309Please respect copyright.PENANAcOGPGN429u
The Turin Register's newsroom is quiet about the Paulina case for a few days when I switch to another breaking subject.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAfxtR76A6uc
309Please respect copyright.PENANAWIdVYYdelt
Someone yells, "Max. Line 7!"
309Please respect copyright.PENANAaeInyBj3xn
"City desk, Max Serafino," is my response.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAgLdUHvGTsc
A man introduces himself as the father of Paulina Fiore, "our daughter." All of it is our fault. We observed how much time she was wasting on her phone but did nothing to stop her.
309Please respect copyright.PENANArvV79EEAws
I ask, "Is there a reason you decided to call me today?" "I'm sure it's not your fault, but I would like to hear more," I reply.
309Please respect copyright.PENANANL2HELPvum
The cops asked us questions about the websites she was looking at after unlocking her phone.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAyZ06wRu7qD
"Do any of the names come to mind?"
309Please respect copyright.PENANAo7FMMtkP6p
"I'm not sure. He said, "But the majority of the articles were about diseases. I've never heard of any of them.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAiAoWMKiTv9
Was she in touch with anyone at all?
309Please respect copyright.PENANAgmeTno2DW0
They did claim that she got the ItaliaApp URLs from friends.
309Please respect copyright.PENANA62pHgik8od
Paulina hasn't been outside for months, according to claims from her neighbours. Online friends are required.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAV4oFyg8jY3
309Please respect copyright.PENANAW9rTpraOAk
I make a call to Turin University's Professor Rizzo.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAaHxQAD8ZUi
Could a patient's dread of sickness, viruses, bacteria, and other things lead to malnutrition? I ask.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAS0ugqzyVd5
"Mysophobia, often known as germophobia, can make a patient avoid handling food, eat with gloves, and do other things of that nature. Patients with problematic conditions may limit their social interactions and avoid going out in public.
309Please respect copyright.PENANADUcNQzVLl1
"Paulina seemed to eat nothing except boiling pasta."
309Please respect copyright.PENANAS8UuVWFAUf
"That sounds feasible, but even in the most severe cases of mysophobia, I've never heard of starvation. Nearly every other psychological impulse pales in comparison to the power of hunger.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAPHBEt1mWR5
The urge to survive, though, isn't it even stronger? I speculate about the potential nature of the existential danger.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAG58LsiOhI3
309Please respect copyright.PENANAYcFIP473Io
309Please respect copyright.PENANAqI9uJrLeoj
How was it possible for Paulina to totally avoid something as common as vitamin C? I provide the Chief Editor with an update on my casework.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAKUlNb4Wmgn
The elements of a good human interest tale are present here—food, terror, and a female victim. Giuseppe appears content. "Continue your research, but stay away from any critical remarks about ItaliaApp. They provide 30% of the traffic we receive.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAo5O9Z2bKv0
309Please respect copyright.PENANASw1mbAluqt
I get along with a lot of people in our city. When a listener is attentive, people love to talk about themselves. especially if they believe they are in an authoritative position.
309Please respect copyright.PENANArvMwj3xxm7
Bruno and I both graduated from university together, but he took a different, more global path. After spending 15 years working in Silicon Valley, he moved back to our town and was quickly hired by the biggest social media firm in Italy. a glimpse of the life I might have had.
309Please respect copyright.PENANArczj3lfw3p
I decide to arrange up a romantic supper with a 41-year-old man instead of having dinner with my girlfriend Gabrielle.
309Please respect copyright.PENANA6A21yCj06r
309Please respect copyright.PENANAOP1sRMnBU4
I walk toward the rectangular mass of iron lattice that is the old Fiat factory in Lingotto on the south side of the city on a clear, dry evening as dusk falls over Turin as it sits in its valley between the towering Italian Alps on one side and the rolling hills that rise up from the Po river on the other. The nearly kilometer-long factory has been converted into offices and a ground-floor shopping centre. High-tech startups now frequently come from the United States, France, and Germany.
309Please respect copyright.PENANApHAiXfQz5N
People are now crammed into the structure that served as the city's hub when Turin manufactured half of all the autos in Europe as they work to understand how to sell affordable handbags online. The inhabitants of Turin, unlike earlier generations, are at least no longer doomed to a life of arduous labour.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAOS2FtiILm3
Paulina lived next to this structure.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAfy0IHHoc4q
309Please respect copyright.PENANALh52O2dUHW
I requested a quiet table at the Osteria del Fiat. When the host directs us to a very packed dining room, I am let down. We pass a sizable space with just one guest table present. I identify a former local politician among the group of well-dressed men. Power brokers want not to be overheard in the hidden corners of the city.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAU3rOv51CVh
We complete our own dinner an hour later, and Bruno takes a sip of the Dolcetto d'Alba we have been sipping. We can now get to the heart of the meal after the customary introductions and the sharing of information about mutual friends. I describe how Paulina was using his employer's app more than 50 times every day.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAZURsqoxduT
"At ItaliaApp, we prioritize repeat visitors. Some readers we seduce with glitz, while others we frighten into addiction.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAIiUDWRr9xp
That's manipulation, right?
309Please respect copyright.PENANAT6JHKP88ut
"We are providing what the public wants. They will discover hatred if they so want. They will also find love if they desire it.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAQrSFTfr1J5
"How about advancing human rights and democratic principles?"
309Please respect copyright.PENANAkdjK78DMi9
"That's just academic rhetoric for pupils. You know that.”
309Please respect copyright.PENANAiGkPowoBtr
Paulina Fiore passed away after consuming false information provided to her by ItaliaApp.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAjtBZQRaoi9
If someone can't handle online news, it's not our problem. Someone else will send it to them if we don't.
309Please respect copyright.PENANADe1NGwjcN7
I comment that you have developed a very American way of thinking. Although it's frustrating that my old friend doesn't view the world the same way we once did, I've learned to embrace people's differences, whether they are political or not. I continue, "The police appear to be quite interested in her social media past."
309Please respect copyright.PENANA6b5YGrFu2j
Bruno asks me with fresh interest, "Has the police department launched an inquiry?"
Perhaps the authors of the misleading news are to blame for her death rather than ItaliaApp. I'll have a look at it and shine some light on the fraudulent new producers if you could email me her browsing history, the one the cops are looking at. That might enable you to respond to bad coverage sooner. Of course, I'll keep your name off of it.
309Please respect copyright.PENANA4Yn61PVTdI
"I'll consider it," Bruno concentrates on his glass of red wine.
309Please respect copyright.PENANA9f09s6PTY2
Although Bruno and I may not agree on everything, we have enough common ground that we can be confident in our ability to uphold each other's interests. Paulina's browsing history is sent to me via an encrypted messaging app the following afternoon.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAcyuAwNhI2p
I begin to click on the links:
309Please respect copyright.PENANAXcQolOaC6V
the ongoing influx of illegal immigrants into Italy.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAf5q4BqlX0I
Covid ascends via ventilation shafts.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAReLKZ7Xtcz
How Elevator Buttons Spread Disease in Seven Ways
309Please respect copyright.PENANAGPmdW38VeR
The first patient with monkey pox in Italy is photographed by paparazzi.
309Please respect copyright.PENANA5Qq5IdYCX7
MonkeyPox-infected vegetables picked by immigrants and sold in our supermarkets.
309Please respect copyright.PENANARkrzIYTxZj
I peruse months' worth of information concerning fatal diseases and how to prevent them. Government efforts to counteract fake news have been unsuccessful.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAFBMIqnaHCx
My heart skips a beat as I see our name among the thousands of links I scan.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAZSgr9UTR2u
"Never believe the government when it comes to monkey pox. See the Turin Register articles that are attached.
309Please respect copyright.PENANA8Ta9CpNVRG
I click the link and am greeted by a series of well-known headlines:
309Please respect copyright.PENANAafsm4Fi664
Max Serafino's article, "The Dark Hand Behind the Government Reshuffle,"
309Please respect copyright.PENANAVcN9mTaZrd
Health Authorities allegedly covered up patient malpractice claims, according to Max Serafino
309Please respect copyright.PENANAY3NfPJ7lDA
Misguided Pandemic Recommendations: Max Serafino
309Please respect copyright.PENANAwMLFoAlXgb
Turin Government Corruption Exposed by Max Serafino
309Please respect copyright.PENANAjjN1pNWHnX
Paulina was reading other articles that frequently linked to pieces my colleagues and I have written, warning her not to believe medical professionals or government health advice.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAJpr2GKTdwL
I fix my attention on the pencil that Giuseppe had earlier left on my desk. I hear someone approaching from behind and feel hands on my shoulders.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAsVVgMGJYSs
"And you believed you were superior to all of us, didn't you," Giuseppe's voice continues.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAGBMxf9Vevr
Is is all...? I'm about to pose a straightforward query. however, I stop. I have a limited number of other job options and bills to pay.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAGwxH3zIykN
I clear my head of useless self-doubt. News is not created by journalists; we merely report it.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAAjwhPostHw
I click the mouse to bring up the police bulletin for today and suggest to the Chief Editor which events we might cover for our respected 137-year-old newspaper.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAEGUu3QBi5G
The following morning, a young journalist who usually sits next to me enters the newsroom and triumphantly greets coworkers. He receives a thumbs-up from Giuseppe. When I look at the Turin Register's most popular articles, I see that "Clickbait News Causes Scurvy in Italy's Auto Capital" is currently trending all across the country.
309Please respect copyright.PENANA8rsJR92KMR
I start dining with Bruno every night. Bruno reminds me that a Political Science professor at the University had said, "Every company is selling a commodity, and at its foundation, the news industry sells fear." We talk about our old school escapades and the state of the nation.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAUX8aSje9GL
The number of maltrunition cases like Paulina's is expected to increase over the coming months. Bruno starts to eat more and more, I notice. My hunger has disappeared.
309Please respect copyright.PENANAwnFFenZDNb
309Please respect copyright.PENANAarJBrV1HV7
309Please respect copyright.PENANAuDk5ccwmmH
THE END
309Please respect copyright.PENANAiqJxREtg7t
Follow for more!
309Please respect copyright.PENANAsMb6lmh1IM