Contingency in Lingotto
369Please respect copyright.PENANA9hn2h0EJqW
369Please respect copyright.PENANAF8ycMngozt
369Please respect copyright.PENANAJ4hWRcQeoc
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAG0fOzgLb95
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAO1cOjGplpx
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAnkqoOkgu5W
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAsuPPl6OwhB
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAZOqUiKWKJA
369Please respect copyright.PENANAWHcIcC4Lhu
369Please respect copyright.PENANAdPCltafbti
“Max?” Standing in front of my desk is Giuseppe. Why haven't you spoken with your friend yet?
369Please respect copyright.PENANAwczecqLqp0
“Friend? Whose friend is he?
369Please respect copyright.PENANA7Wglu4mSg0
“Idiot. The pal who always blames themselves. "Young, appealing, and popular online?" Giuseppe says this, his voice becoming louder with each utterance.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAtDPgVzv3oo
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAm7sAhlEwSx
“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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANADNGT8KU2of
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAGd9erEg7TH
I call the pal.
369Please respect copyright.PENANABsLa9AVrhX
Max Serafino is speaking. Are you Bianca?
369Please respect copyright.PENANAfu7JQvzpVL
A female voice says, "Yes," but then pauses. Are you working for the police?
369Please respect copyright.PENANAKKrnvS69lO
“No. I support the I mention the newspaper's name. The name has a 137-year history and frequently opens doors.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAKknloGTz0Z
"I had assumed that the police would be contacted first. What do you desire?
369Please respect copyright.PENANAUFeYQAJTkO
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANALbKQoWHoIP
"I'd want to explain what you mentioned in the popular ItaliaApp video." I bring up the biggest social media app in Italy.
369Please respect copyright.PENANA3hZR1neKXb
Bianca complains, "That video is wrecking my life."
369Please respect copyright.PENANATGRqyfj1ss
I regret to inform you of that.
369Please respect copyright.PENANATNWaAK6sMJ
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANArMBDREu4wK
“Yes?”
369Please respect copyright.PENANAajDlKSbJIE
She says, "Thanks for calling, but I don't know who you are. It's all too much."
369Please respect copyright.PENANAWk9cuEuJG9
The mobile device's display abruptly goes crimson. She ends the WhatsApp conversation and logs off.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAHiugtuQkiw
"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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANA2ZHfADOctp
"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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAwPLJIaUKFL
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANA5jBxlTWbGF
The Turin Tiger, perhaps? I suggest. I'll take that for the byline.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAnvojxKwMjO
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAGTr5Sk6e7L
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:
369Please respect copyright.PENANA4Vmsn2jPtT
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAMtU8zAmK6m
I get a response that seems to have been copied and pasted:
369Please respect copyright.PENANARcxtaGaaPp
Please don't contact us again; we have nothing to say. A family named The Fiore
369Please respect copyright.PENANAjaaYzynyz8
The Turin Register's newsroom is quiet about the Paulina case for a few days when I switch to another breaking subject.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAgnmdmYoMUG
369Please respect copyright.PENANAhoPV092Kuv
Someone yells, "Max. Line 7!"
369Please respect copyright.PENANA7CnVzmSL1c
"City desk, Max Serafino," is my response.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAJwxnM3vNRj
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANA88e7wQVj6m
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANA7kfQWT7Yn9
The cops asked us questions about the websites she was looking at after unlocking her phone.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAreELDunfTf
"Do any of the names come to mind?"
369Please respect copyright.PENANAdvvKvOCbTB
"I'm not sure. He said, "But the majority of the articles were about diseases. I've never heard of any of them.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAieCLzA5ymx
Was she in touch with anyone at all?
369Please respect copyright.PENANAGv1PPxqiWD
They did claim that she got the ItaliaApp URLs from friends.
369Please respect copyright.PENANADOz8ovCtNH
Paulina hasn't been outside for months, according to claims from her neighbours. Online friends are required.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAAzG07gd5g1
369Please respect copyright.PENANAAAA3XUcrzJ
I make a call to Turin University's Professor Rizzo.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAUrdC4vB34L
Could a patient's dread of sickness, viruses, bacteria, and other things lead to malnutrition? I ask.
369Please respect copyright.PENANA7YBvYGK0Vv
"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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAlhYioNHik1
"Paulina seemed to eat nothing except boiling pasta."
369Please respect copyright.PENANAXb1Q3e8p8w
"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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANA5cwvqor3L8
The urge to survive, though, isn't it even stronger? I speculate about the potential nature of the existential danger.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAyyEjmL8uby
369Please respect copyright.PENANANmL1Db7Efi
369Please respect copyright.PENANA40FEwAC5Fj
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANArTnHJlNWLu
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAlDtIq76fm9
369Please respect copyright.PENANAl359pHMEFv
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANACioJOw2IPb
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANA2cpORuQUN6
I decide to arrange up a romantic supper with a 41-year-old man instead of having dinner with my girlfriend Gabrielle.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAh25Ed1ioiG
369Please respect copyright.PENANAcqCvk6sLgA
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAo5n4FjIPpa
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAqZLTalYrYw
Paulina lived next to this structure.
369Please respect copyright.PENANA2jATW3IZl0
369Please respect copyright.PENANAXtlBEGuX20
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAPh19W5TxWq
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAhJM32vzcUm
"At ItaliaApp, we prioritize repeat visitors. Some readers we seduce with glitz, while others we frighten into addiction.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAUl9IsPFkuf
That's manipulation, right?
369Please respect copyright.PENANAIVsXsXmVO6
"We are providing what the public wants. They will discover hatred if they so want. They will also find love if they desire it.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAlfwg1QnjHA
"How about advancing human rights and democratic principles?"
369Please respect copyright.PENANArH62Ua6AhH
"That's just academic rhetoric for pupils. You know that.”
369Please respect copyright.PENANA4D9HnfxgDS
Paulina Fiore passed away after consuming false information provided to her by ItaliaApp.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAWphh6cPxYx
If someone can't handle online news, it's not our problem. Someone else will send it to them if we don't.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAUbjYhNGV04
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."
369Please respect copyright.PENANAD34QhXmExk
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAD3iyDzGVGy
"I'll consider it," Bruno concentrates on his glass of red wine.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAlwj6ZDeK53
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAUCQ2gDHwyJ
I begin to click on the links:
369Please respect copyright.PENANAtEI1wALH4D
the ongoing influx of illegal immigrants into Italy.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAdQKqHexOCf
Covid ascends via ventilation shafts.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAcQr4LVHj8h
How Elevator Buttons Spread Disease in Seven Ways
369Please respect copyright.PENANAIECR4cDGdc
The first patient with monkey pox in Italy is photographed by paparazzi.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAEYDfk6k97l
MonkeyPox-infected vegetables picked by immigrants and sold in our supermarkets.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAjuRaNjso9j
I peruse months' worth of information concerning fatal diseases and how to prevent them. Government efforts to counteract fake news have been unsuccessful.
369Please respect copyright.PENANArlXQqTCTH3
My heart skips a beat as I see our name among the thousands of links I scan.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAI2mFSjPwft
"Never believe the government when it comes to monkey pox. See the Turin Register articles that are attached.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAMyLGJAj7Ht
I click the link and am greeted by a series of well-known headlines:
369Please respect copyright.PENANAYjLNgZnGyH
Max Serafino's article, "The Dark Hand Behind the Government Reshuffle,"
369Please respect copyright.PENANAO3U35Fc7jg
Health Authorities allegedly covered up patient malpractice claims, according to Max Serafino
369Please respect copyright.PENANAeELV4t7UZO
Misguided Pandemic Recommendations: Max Serafino
369Please respect copyright.PENANAvSnWbqkeuo
Turin Government Corruption Exposed by Max Serafino
369Please respect copyright.PENANAuoiWdWasy1
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAju5uzFl8kc
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANALVZUigkN16
"And you believed you were superior to all of us, didn't you," Giuseppe's voice continues.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAKPlAnznkhJ
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAS8QSeDrKtc
I clear my head of useless self-doubt. News is not created by journalists; we merely report it.
369Please respect copyright.PENANALMSrVJ0OND
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAZzWAiAeiXg
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANANpHm7L2SLq
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAwp5SQb3qCb
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.
369Please respect copyright.PENANAy5d0p1hgBU
369Please respect copyright.PENANAUf1GO69tGy
369Please respect copyright.PENANAcZAZHcghzL
THE END
369Please respect copyright.PENANARgJQ7gL6NL
Follow for more!
369Please respect copyright.PENANA2NCRaS4L62