JOURNALIST types.
SHADOW hovers behind.
JOURNALIST
Why are you always looking over my shoulder?
SHADOW
I’m your shadow. Where else am I supposed to look?
JOURNALIST
I don’t like people looking at me like that.
Scrutinizing.
SHADOW
That’s supposed to be your job?
JOURNALIST
Exactly.
I’m not doing anything wrong.
SHADOW
I didn’t say that you were.
JOURNALIST
You never say anything
You just hover behind me
watching
breathing
thinking dark thoughts
SHADOW
I’m your shadow, what am I supposed to do?
JOURNALIST
Of the hundreds of stories we covered last year
Only a handful were about them.
SHADOW
Impressive.
JOURNALIST
It’s naïve to think that other journalism is objective
that corporations aren’t pulling the strings
that Murdoch doesn’t have things he wants covered
at least with this there is clarity:
they pay for the newspaper
I produce the content.
The things people say
it isn’t fair
you’d swear I was Voldemort.
SHADOW
You shouldn’t read internet comments
and Voldemort’s not so bad
just misunderstood.
I’d pick Slytherin over Griffyndor anyday
all those pesky heroes and team spirit
irritating.
JOURNALIST
I don’t want to be Slytherin
I want to be Hufflepuff
I’m just a regular journalist trying to do my job.
SHADOW
Just a regular hufflepuff huffling along.
JOURNALIST
They’re who I write about
for the most part
Stories about regular people
Local news that the national media
Who has no problem pissing all over me for selling out
Would never feature in their paper.
We need local news
the government won’t fund it
why shouldn’t corporations?
SHADOW
There is your son.
JOURNALIST
I care about my son.
That’s why I do this.
I was laid off
Everybody in journalism was laid off
I do this to support my son.
SHADOW
There is the question of what your son will do
in thirty years time.
The question of climate change.
JOURNALIST
I care about global warming
I worry about it
but I have to make a living
I’m no Voldemort.
SHADOW
You don’t have to tell me
I’m your shadow
not your conscience.
I’m just a follower
there’s nothing I can do about anything.
CLIMATE CHANGE THEATRE 