The fictional camera crew that captured the antics of The Office employees is back, only this time they’re following the lives of the Toledo Truth-Teller employees in The Paper. The 10-episode season (now streaming on STACKTV) revolves around new editor-in-chief Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson) as he tries to turn the local newsroom around with his fancy journalism degree, despite numerous challenges.

Teaching his staff and a crew of volunteers how to actually report the news is as comical as it sounds, but what really makes The Paper stand out is how accurate it can be. Keep scrolling to see what this show gets right about the state of journalism in 2026.

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Read more: Who Voices Ted? Meet the Cast and What to Expect in Season 2

The 24 hour news cycle

The pressure to keep up with a never-ending news cycle is real. If you’re sometimes overwhelmed by all of the global information coming at you, imagine how a journalist reporting on it feels. What many successful news outlets do nowadays to fight back against the steady stream is to find a niche. For the Toledo Truth-Teller, that niche is digging into the local community.

Not only does ignoring the stuff that larger papers have keep the show light, but the town residents that the staff investigates add fun new characters and laughs to the mix.

Shifting to digital

Many newspapers had a hard time figuring out how to monetize online, which has led to things like clickbait and paywalls. The Paper has fun with its clickbait articles and online presence thanks to Esmeralda Grand (Sabrina Impacciatore), whose loose morals and need for attention are perfectly suited for the gig.

Of course there is a ton of valuable content online, but grabbing people’s attention can be hard. Esmeralda is the perfect character to make fun of that journey and we love her for it.

Related: 9 Fierce On-Screen Women and Why We Love Them

The need for speed

In journalism, a fact isn’t a fact until it has been verified by two independent and legit sources. These days, with everyone racing to report things first and tight deadlines, there isn’t always time to follow that code. Different publications have different rules.

The Paper calls that to our attention with some of its reporting storylines, and while the way they unfold are comical, they also create great tension for the characters as they race against the clock. Just check out Episode 2, “The Five W’s.”

Never read the comments section

No matter what kind of journalist you are, never read the comments section unless you want to be seriously bothered. People love to say whatever they feel like behind the glow of a screen, and it can often be harsh. The Paper pays homage to that in fully relatable ways, particularly in its fourth episode, “TTT vs the Blogger.”

There are always products to review

In the sixth episode, “Churnalism,” Ned gives in to Esmeralda’s ask of reviewing a beauty product by getting everyone on board to try out samples and give their honest takes. The samples themselves and the havoc they cause lead to one of the best episodes of the season.

But there’s also truth to the episode. Reviewing products and receiving free samples has become a part of online journalism, with many legit sites independently testing items and receiving affiliate commissions from sales.

Content creators are weird competition

We all love to doom scroll before bed and zone out with our favourite content creators. And what they do is NOT easy. But there can also be a weird, blurred line between journalism and content creators, which The Paper plays up perfectly in Episode 4, “TTT vs the Blogger.”

Nailing that story is the best feeling

All good comedy comes with heart, and The Paper is no exception. So many journalists are addicted to that feeling of breaking a story and reporting on something in a real and meaningful way. It’s why they do what they do. The Paper captures that brilliantly in “Churnalism,” when Esmeralda gets a taste of what it’s like to cover harder news.

The episode adds instant heart to the show, reveals a new side to Esmeralda, and finally solidifies this ragtag team of reporters as a dysfunctional work family.

Ready to press play? Watch The Paper on STACKTV. Try it free today!

Watch The Paper trailer