When Domhnall Gleeson shadowed reporters before starting work as a newspaper editor in “The Paper,” he was surprised at the optimism that’s still evident.
“I’ve always been quite romantic about it as well,” he says of the industry. “But then to see the reality of the day-to-day, it becomes even more impressive … once you’ve seen what people are up against.”
While visiting newspapers in Ohio, Gleeson says he noticed differences between those who were just coming into the business and those who had been around a while. “What they all had in common was they still believe in the foundations of it. That was really useful for Ned— that constant belief that it’s possible” to make a difference.
Domhnall Gleeson stars as Ned in "The Paper" a mockumentary from the folks who produced "The Office."
When the Peacock series begins, Ned Sampson, Gleeson’s character, has been appointed editor of the Toledo Truth Teller, a newspaper that’s part of a paper conglomerate.
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Inspired by his college days, Sampson’s eager to get back into the newsroom and rekindle his romance with the profession.
“He doesn’t know the reality of what it is now,” Gleeson says. “So, it’s like your first girlfriend. It’s rose-tinted, but if you were to go out with your first girlfriend again, maybe it wouldn’t go as amazing. The romance actually feeds into the quirkiness because that’s what makes him different to everybody. He remains romantic about it, while everyone (at the paper) has been living the reality.”
Ned (Domhnall Gleeson) gets on top a desk to share his news philosophy in "The Paper."
Created by the folks behind “The Office,” “The Paper” uses the same mockumentary format, which allows characters to comment on stories as they unfold. The series’ conceit: It’s filmed by the folks who shot the documentary referenced in “The Office.”
What Sampson doesn’t realize is how short-staffed the Truth Teller is. Because wire copy has filled many of the pages, he’s down to one reporter, a managing editor and a page designer. To beef up the staff, he asks for volunteers from the paper’s parent company and, surprisingly, he gets takers.
The staffers become students and, during the show’s first 10 episodes, learn how to become reporters.
On his fact-finding mission, the 42-year-old Gleeson discovered printing presses aren’t part of every newspaper operation. “A lot of them send it away, so there’ll be one printing press somewhere else in the state where all of the papers send their stuff to get printed,” he says. “That results in earlier and earlier deadlines during the day … and that’s why the online thing is just such a different beast. It’s a whole different version of journalism.”
Sabrina Impacciatore as Esmeralda and Domhnall Gleeson as Ned in "The Paper."
While newsrooms have contracted, reporters “are still choosing to do it … and they’re still going out and finding out what the local mayor is doing. It’s the people (who are) inspiring. It’s not the places.”
Even though Gleeson’s father — actor Brendan Gleeson — is an Oscar nominee and a revered performer in Ireland, Domhnall wasn’t eager to follow in his footsteps. “I didn’t want to be an actor necessarily, and I fell into it. I’m a way better person than if I hadn’t been an actor. The people I’ve met through acting, the things I’ve had to think about … the situations … have made me a more empathetic person. So, every time I play a new part, I feel like I learn, and I grow as a person in some way.”
While shooting a film in Scotland, he got the same impression he got from visiting those newspapers in the United States. “It wasn’t a big-budget film, but it was working with these incredible people, this young crew …. who were in it because they love it. You’re out on the sea, you’re on the edge of a cliff and it’s freezing and it’s dangerous and it was like, ‘This is why we do it.’ My life is richer because of it.”
"The Paper" begins Sept. 4 on Peacock.
