Off the Air

Jolene Garcia is a reporter for Channel 4 in Phoenix, AZ, covering everything from school board meetings to ribbon-cutting ceremonies. When controversial talk radio host Larry Lemmon collapses and dies in his broadcast studio, every station sends reporters to cover the story. Though Jolene’s boss pressures her to rush for new information about Lemmon’s death, Jolene works her sources to get the facts. Meanwhile, her competitors go live with speculation. Then the coroner announces the cause of death—homicide, likely from poisoned cookies that were delivered to the studio. With danger looming, Jolene sets out to find the delivery person and reveal the person behind the plot. Estes shows the behind-the-scenes work involved in reporting the news, including the increasing pressure for reporters to cover more and stay on top of multimedia formats. Narrator Marcella Black captures Jolene’s determination to get the story with nimble pacing and an animated delivery.