Ep 22. Fraudcast News
- TV-PG
- May 23, 2004
- 22 min
-
7.2 (1,516)
In The Simpsons season 15 episode 22, titled "Fraudcast News," Springfield's local news station, KBBL, hires a new anchor named Scott Christian (voiced by actor Stacy Keach). Scott quickly shakes things up at the station when he reveals his true journalistic integrity by refusing to broadcast a story about a popular local restaurant that serves rats instead of beef.
Meanwhile, Bart discovers a radio show hosted by Kent Brockman called "Brockman: Where Are They Now?" and becomes obsessed with discovering the whereabouts of a former Krusty the Clown sidekick named Gabbo. Bart eventually tracks Gabbo down to a seedy part of town where he discovers that Gabbo is actually a ventriloquist dummy controlled by his ventriloquist, Arthur Crandall.
After learning about Scott's integrity and dedication to truth in journalism, Lisa and her class at school decide to create their own news program on public access television. However, with the help of Bart and his new discovery, Gabbo, they quickly become more focused on sensational stories and increasing ratings rather than truly reporting important news. This leads to a conflict in ethics between Lisa and Scott, who realizes that Lisa's actions are compromising her integrity.
As Lisa tries to expose the truth about Springfield's water supply being contaminated, Scott's influence on her causes her to question whether the story is accurate or not. Meanwhile, Bart's obsession with Gabbo leads to a chaotic scene at the news station that ultimately exposes Scott's true motivations and leads to a showdown between Lisa and Scott on live television.
Overall, "Fraudcast News" is a witty and entertaining episode that reveals the darker side of media and journalism while also providing insight into the power of truth and integrity in reporting. As always, The Simpsons uses its signature humor and satirical approach to deliver a message that is both thought-provoking and entertaining.