The Oval Web

"Viewers first noticed Derrick Wyler's steel-blue eyes. Radiating an essential combination of wisdom and compassion, they confirmed he was trustworthy, that he understood all of the problems on which he reported. "Punctuated by a Grecian nose that provided a secure platform for his trademark half-glasses, a cleft chin added rugged character to the face known to millions. He would often rest the tortoiseshell spectacles on his lightly creased forehead to convey openness and warmth, or peer over the top to emphasize a point. His wavy brown hair divulged a hunt of gray at each temple." This is Derrick Wyler, news anchor for CTN, one of the most recognizable faces in the world, and one of the most trusted. Derrick Wyler has no idea how dramatically his life is about to change, as he stares into the unblinking eye of the camera and delivers a scathing editorial on Friday, December 3rd. Let's suppose, for the sake of argument the following question. What if a weak president, controlled by a superior individual with unlimited resources and the desire for person gain, allowed the nations technological might to pry into the lives of its most influential citizens? This question lies at the center of a dangerous conflict between the Chief Executive and the nation's most revered newscasters. When Derrick Wyler discovers that he - and his wife - is under the presidential microscope, he recognizes the fine line between the individual's right to privacy and the public's right to know, has been broached. Add to the equation Wyler's understanding of the power of the media and technology, and the ethics of using that power to achieve personal or public ends, contemporary battle lines are drawn up between the good and evil technology. And in the middle is Derrick Wyler. The question then becomes: Will Derrick Wyler expose a vast corruption within the upper echelons of power, or will be become merely one of another alarming crime statistic - a mention on the evening news?