News Agencies

(Usually don't post this much text on something, but when its the only way to describe something *shrugs*)

TriNebulon News

Tri Nebulon News covers about a quarter of the Outer Rim territories, Including Parmel, Quence and Portmoak Sectors.  Tri Nebulon broadcasts holovids on several subspace bandwidths (though communication isn't instantaneous; there is usually some delay in the outlying areas of its broadcast sphere).  The network's style can politely be described as "tabloid." it is fiercely pro-Imperial and ridicules those with views that aren't in keeping with the Empire's pro-Human and intolerant attitudes.  Tri Nebulon also makes a lot out of the fact that it has "correspondents in far-flung corners of the galaxy, there to ensure that you get to hear about the important issues first."

The fact that these far-flung correspondents rarely write about anything more important than the night-life, the weather and what outrageous fashions exist in their corner of the galaxy appears to have eluded both Tri Nebulon's editors and its viewer-ship.  These "far-flung correspondents" jobs are regarded among journalists as some of the cushiest in the business.

NovaNetwork

Everything that applies to Tri Nebulon News applies equally to it's arch-rival, Nova Network.  Nova Network also has some other tricks of its own.  For one, anything that can be trademarked is trademarked.  Also, the network manages the difficult juggling trick of being pro-Imperial and being tolerant and in favor of individual rights-- a confusing and schizophrenic editorial policy.  The two networks cover virtually the same territory, and whenever one of them makes a factual error on reporting something within that area, the other can be relied on either to ridicule the "shoddy reporting" of its "lesser competitor" or alternatively to come up with an even wilder inaccuracy of its own.

Sektor 242 NewsLine

This is a much smaller news agency than the Tri Nebulon and Nova Network, and it attains far higher standards of accuracy and objectivity.  It has a mild pro-alien and individual rights slant (it is one of the few agencies to admit that all sapients are "people" instead of just Humans) and a generally thoughtful style of prose; its political commentaries are highly respected for their conciseness. the network's major difficulty is economics, where its commentaries are often far wide of the truth.

The network also syndicates on of the ten most popular animated holostrips on the Outer Rims main disk - "The Times and Trepidations of Majnar Roak." This bewildering series is either a simple, straightforward story of the trials and tribulations of a retiring finance clerk on a backwater world, or a mildly excoriating satire on the state of the Sarin Sector (Sector 242) itself.  Some times it is really hard to tell.

Imperial HoloVision

Imperial HoloVision is one of the largest, most powerful news agencies in the galaxy.  In the days of the Republic, it was called Republic News;  when Emperor Palpatine took over, the company was reorganized, give and Imperial warrant, and more or less passed back to its old management.  There are a few COMPNOR "observers within the organization, and some managers have been displaced, but the company actually needed very few changes to get it to conform to the Emperor's requirements.  Under the Republic, it had remained sufficiently independent that it was able to show at least some of the flaws of the crumbling Old Republic; all the Emperor's servants needed to do was to blind it to the short-comings of the New Order.  This has been relatively easy to achieve.

It is a rare planet that is not within HoloVision's broadcast sphere.  Since the dismantling of the HoloNet,  the simple logistics involved in distributing the company's latest news releases across the galaxy are mind-boggling.  IN fact, the company now spends more on collating and distributing its material than it does on gathering its stories.  imperial HoloVision is pro-Imperial (naturally), pro-business and in favor of individualism, but not in favor of government protection and supervision of rights.  Its reporting style is detailed, sophisticated and mostly accurate.  It doesn't distort the questionable policies of the Empire; it simply ignores them, therefore making sure that most of the galaxy's population never hears about atrocities.  It is respected and trusted,  and perhaps one of the most powerful propaganda tools the Emperor possesses, even if its executives aren't on the Imperial Payroll.

Galactic Weekly NewsStack

Galactic Weekly NewsStack has proven to be a major thorn in COMPNOR's side.  The NewsStack began as a counterculture publication, downloaded into various public domain computer networks.  Instead of dying a quick death, as COMPNOR predicted it would, NewsStack was passed from network to network, sector to sector, receiving much wider dissemination than COMPNOR dreamed possible.  Since then, the Imperial censors have worked very hard to stop the spread of the NewsStack.  Unfortunately, they have achieved very little success in their endeavors.

The NewsStack acts like and old-style virus program, insinuating itself into the broadcast spheres of virtually every computer and holo system around, including (occasionally) the broadcasts of the larger news networks.  On pre-programmed dates, the NewsStack programs override a computer's operation system and present themselves to computer operators.  The rumors have been known to show up on computer networks, business computers, holonews broadcasts, and anonymous sources have confirmed that once a posting ended up overriding the command control of an Imperial Star Destroyer while on maneuvers I the Trinary Septevorres System.  The override function caused the Star Destroyer to drift into on of the suns...

COMPNOR's programmers are trying desperately to root out the NewsStack, but so far they have met with no success; the editor of and his staff are all expert programmers, apparently.  The NewsStack appears to be the product of young, enterprising computer operators in the Outer Rims with entirely too much free time on their hands.  Their irreverent brand of humor and complete disrespect for authority (in any form) has resulted in the m being banned by the Empire's COMPNOR art group.  Their satire has enraged the Empire's top leaders, Rebel Alliance Command and most of the major corporations in the Known Galaxy.  naturally, this has made the NewsStack exceedingly popular through the Empire.

The editor of the NewsStack, who writes under the pseudonym Palpatine II, has proudly stated that he is "rabidly anti-Imperial, anti-corporation, and anti-Rebellion.  we're anti-everybody."  The publication is scathing in its criticisms (particularly of the Empire).  Irreverence is another feature of the NewsStack: the arts correspondent writes under the pseudonym "as Dangor, advisor to the Emperor" as he reviews banned rock groups.  Despite the decision to make any subject grist for the humor mill, it has proven surprisingly popular, especially among adolescents and young adults who tend to like such pointed commentary, even if they are on the receiving end.  It is satire at its finest, and is driving COMPNOR crazy ("Which proves that the Empire has absolutely no sense of humor," says NewsStack editor "Palpatine II").

Of course, COMPNOR is the only Imperial group that is really willing to devote much time to this: the military and Imperial Intelligence are far too busy trying to prevent the Rebellion from spreading.  However, it is believed by some that members of the NewsStack are secretly Rebel sympathizers and bury cretin select bits of information within their dispatches, which can then be deciphered by Alliance intelligence personnel.  The NewsStack's response is "Anything for publicity."

(Sample Galactic Weekly NewsStack follows)

Galactic Weekly NewsStack:
Banned by the Empire and Loving Every Minute Of it!

21.05 Luke Skywalker is just an Alliance public relations exercise. DataPage 18732

25.02 Rebel Special Operations Team steals Mandalore Sector.  "Where are they keeping it?" asks Baffled Moff.  DataPage 19928

26.12 "Oink" is a deadly insult in Gamorrese; Moff Balfour inadvertently starts clan war. DataPage 20177

26.13 Reporter identifies site of AT-AT stud farm. Picture on DataPage 33123

28.08 Imperial Royal Guard foils attempted theft of Palpatine's left leg. "I'm hopping mad," says Emperor. Datapage 23671

29.91 Due to a bookkeeping error, three Imperial-Class Star Destroyers have inadvertently been reclassified as comlinks, and are now on sale as Naval Surplus at twelve credits apiece.  DataPage 44903

30.25 TechNotes, Volume 17: The SoroSuub RIP-17 Autochef series can be modified to produce:

  • a) food (though this requires more time and effort than you would think).

  • b) Detonite (which is what the autochef claims is "food").

  • c) high-quality spice liquor (Just kidding! apologies to all you Corellians who fell for this!). DataPage 00834

36.61 Sector Moff mutters insults behind Lord Vader's back; is demoted to corpse almost instantly.  "That Vader, he kills us," say Imperial Personnel officers. 
DataPage 24722

37.11 Rebel Security foils unauthorized cloning attempt on General Madine. "I'm beside myself," says General. DataPage 13904

37.82 Boba Fett is actually a green, scaly humanoid about 25 centimeters tall.  He controls his armor via a complicated system of levers, pulleys, and bits of string. DataPage 83400

37.91 Retraction: The editors would like to apologize to Mr. Fett for the above item, and ask that he please quit shooting our reporters. DataPage 83401

38.94 Jaba the Hutt to start fast food chain, named Rancor's Nibblepit.  Debt defaulters are encouraged to help supply primary ingredients to daily specials to help pay their debts to Jabba. DataPage 46902

39.67 Retraction: The editors would like to apologize to Jabba the Hutt and to the next of kin of several of his debtors.  The preceding piece should have read: "Debt defaulters are the primary ingredients." We would also like to ask the next of kin to quit whining about it, already.  The meals...sorry, debtors... in question were deadbeats, anyway! DataPage 46904

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