Patty is the new editor-in-chef of the Brooklyn Heights High Bugle. Martin, who is editor of the successful New York Chronicle, is naturally overjoyed. She wishes to increase readership, and Martin advises to model the school paper after the quality standards of his paper, which has a readership of 828,000. Patty asks him about the New York Query, a tabloid style he despises that has a readership of 5.5 million. Looking strictly for numbers, she decides to follow the tabloid format. Patty and her staff of four, including a disapproving Cathy, scour the school for a story. Only Cathy returns a story- advice to the students from their principal Mr. Brewster (Charles White). Patty decides to give it an eye-catching headline- "Big Daddy Speaks" and prints copies. She also builds around it gossip and misleading stories. When Patty takes it Query Editor Mr. Roger (Cliff Carpenter) for his advice, he is shocked by the stories and tells them it's nice, before printing them in his own paper. It leads to Mr. Brewster receiving threatening calls and an investigation. He forbids Patty to return to the newspaper office, but she does so to make another edition.
Moral theme: Integrity
A nice lesson on integrity. It was of personal interest to me, as I served as my high school paper's editor-in-chief while my mother was co-publisher of our town's newspaper. I followed her example.
A nice lesson on integrity. It was of personal interest to me, as I served as my high school paper's editor-in-chief while my mother was co-publisher of our town's newspaper. I followed her example.
