Lars is a pretty good reporter. He covers politics, local events, dog stories. Lars is such a good reporter, he never leaves the office.
“I don’t have to,” he says. We sat in the atrium of the non-profit news service he works for, MSP News. “I’m a Senior Reporter.”
“How do you get the news?” I ask.
“The Junior Reporters. I stay here and work.” He put his coffee cup down. “I’m working now.”
He certainly wasn’t suffering. MSP News occupies a large, glassy building in Minneapolis. The offices are airy and pleasant. Skyways connect to restaurants, banks, and coffee shops. One never has to leave, which is good. On the streets, Minneapolis is a war zone.
We could hear the muffled bang of hammers and the whine of power saws. On the eve of the Floyd trial, storefronts are putting up plywood, erecting barriers. It doesn’t sound comforting. It sounds like trouble.
It also sounded like opportunity. “Look Lars,” I said. “Why don’t you give me a freelance assignment? A sort of man-on-the-street deal. I’ve studied every aspect of the trial. I could interview store owners, report on demonstrations.”
“We have our own people. I trust them.”
The implication bothered me. “You can trust me. I’ve got a good eye.”
“But you don’t understand journalism. This trial is about justice. It’s the reporter’s job to see that nothing interferes with that. I’m not sure you do.”
“I would certainly be accurate. Regardless of politics.”
“That’s exactly what I’m talking about. The cops are guilty. And if you can’t see that, you’re a lousy reporter.”
Lars seldom realizes when he is being insulting. As a matter of fact, he is smiling. Several birds are flitting from potted tree to potted tree. They got in last fall, and have made a happy home. “Aren’t they cute?” he says.
They certainly are.
Richard Donnelly lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Classic flyover land. Which makes us feel just a little… superior. He publishes a weekly column of essays on the writing life at richarddonnelly.substack.com