The Paper Ep 2: The Five W’s - Office Ladies Recap
Podcast: Office Ladies
Published: 2026-01-07
Duration: 1 hr 7 min
Guests: Stephanie A., Scott McGinnis
Summary
Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey break down 'The Paper's' second episode, 'The Five W's', highlighting the challenges of creating a community newspaper from scratch. They reminisce about food memories and share personal stories of being stuck in unusual places.
What Happened
Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey dive into 'The Paper's' second episode, 'The Five W's', where Ned and his team of volunteers at the Toledo Truthteller face the challenge of producing original news stories after their wire service is canceled. The pressure mounts with a 6 p.m. deadline, and hilarity ensues when Ned mistakenly calls the morgue about a non-existent body, squashing hopes for a sensational serial killer story. Instead, Ned writes a letter from the editor titled 'No News is Good News', promoting the lack of crime as a positive sign for the community.
Angela shares that her grandmother, Lena May Kinsey, once wrote a column titled 'Around Archer' for the Archer City paper, sparking a discussion on the vital role of community news. Jenna, who was a journalism minor in college, reminisces about her past journalism assignments, adding personal insight into the episode's theme of grassroots reporting.
The set design of 'The Paper' is intentionally different from 'The Office', with Ken Kwapis aiming for a big, expansive bullpen to create a new visual identity. The editing process is also highlighted, with Dave Rogers cutting episodes from 28-29 minutes to a precise 21 minutes and 30 seconds using notes from Greg Daniels and Michael Komen.
Food memories flood back as Jenna and Angela recall the set of 'The Paper', where actors frequently indulged in Shirley's popcorn, a popular Ohio brand, particularly the white cheddar flavor. These snacks unlocked memories of similar experiences on 'The Office' set.
Personal stories take center stage as Jenna recounts a harrowing experience of getting seasick on a shark boat, one of her worst days, while Angela remembers being stuck with her family in the Christmas Eve Blizzard in North Texas in 2009. These anecdotes form part of a fan question segment on the worst places they have been stuck.
The episode also features listener interactions, where fans can submit questions for Jenna and Angela to answer. This segment offers a personal touch and strengthens the connection with their audience.
Key Insights
- The set design of 'The Paper' intentionally features a large, expansive bullpen, differentiating it visually from 'The Office'. This design choice was made by Ken Kwapis to create a distinct visual identity for the show.
- Episodes of 'The Paper' are edited down to 21 minutes and 30 seconds from an initial 28-29 minutes. Dave Rogers handles the editing process using notes from Greg Daniels and Michael Komen.
- Shirley's popcorn, particularly the white cheddar flavor, was a popular snack on the set of 'The Paper', reminiscent of similar food experiences on 'The Office' set. Shirley's is a well-known brand in Ohio.
- Angela Kinsey's grandmother, Lena May Kinsey, wrote a column titled 'Around Archer' for the Archer City paper, highlighting the importance of community news in small towns.