Conflicts of Interest: A Justin Fanfiction Saga

Chapter Seven: Something's Happened

The next day

She allowed her long legs to stick into the aisle as she slouched in her metal chair. She bit on the end of her flair pen and furrowed her brow.

"What right does the public have to know everything?" she asked. "Especially if it isn't relevant."

"Because it's newsworthy," the young man across the room responded. "If you don't break the story, someone else will."

"But it doesn't affect his job," Madeline explained. "It's not as if he's the president and knowing this changes our ability to trust him. He's an entertainer. Having this out just makes his life harder."

"That's what you get for being a public figure," the man answered.

"Are you saying, Miss Lee," Professor Duarte said, stepping from behind a long table, "That if you were USA Today, you would not have threatened to out Arthur Ashe as having AIDS, forcing him to announce it himself?"

"I don't think so," Madeline said, shaking her head. "He's a tennis player. He was retired. What did it matter if he had AIDS or not?"

"Because he's public, and AIDS is a public disease," another woman piped up. "And it wouldn't harm his reputation because he didn't get it through sex or drugs. The public should know that even prominent figures can get the disease. It's like what Mill argues about utilitarianism – you aim for the greatest good that benefits the greatest number of people."

"At the sacrifice of shaking up his life and his family with something he chose to keep personal?" Madeline asked.

"Yeah, but if you didn't do it, some other paper would've eventually, and you would have lost the story. Could you live with that?" said another classmate.

"At least I could sleep at night," Madeline shot back.

"All right," Professor Duarte said, looking at the clock. "I think this is a good note to end on. Finish the Mill readings for next time."

As students stood up quickly to gather their books, Madeline approached the instructor's table.

"Miss Lee," the professor said, looking up from his lecture notes. "You seem to be agitated on the defense of public figures today. Why the change of heart?"

"I don't know," Madeline said, shrugging. "It just seems a shame that for the sake of selling papers you have to make such borderline ethical decisions."

"That's exactly what they are," the professor said, nodding. "Borderline. These decisions have no clear right or wrong, Miss Lee. That's why we argue both sides and let the reporter make up their mind."

"But if the reporter chooses unwisely, the damage is done," Madeline said.

"That's what happens when you're in such a powerful position. But there are retributions."

She looked at her instructor in despair. "That can't be good enough. Isn't there any way to protect celebrities from this?"

Professor Duarte looked at her. "Yes, Miss Lee," he said with an impassive face. "Go into public relations."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dejected, she plopped down on a chair and stared at the young man across from her.

"What now?" Nathan asked.

"Nothing's turning out the way I wanted it to," Madeline sighed. "I'm having issues."

Nathan stared at her and tipped his chair back, propping his feet up on the desk in front of him.

"Please don't tell me it's about the guy."