Universal News Network

Universe News Network, also known as Universal News Network and UNN, is a major media organization of the Terrans in the Koprulu Sector, originally a corporation within the Terran Confederacy.

It is based in a tower in Tarsonis City, Tarsonis; the tower is one of the tallest and most recognizable landmarks in the city. The editor-in-chief, Handy Anderson, works out of the top floor (and is ironically afraid of heights) but the real work takes place on lower floors. Anderson is rumored to hide a large collection of "dirt" on important Confederacy political figures in the basement of the tower; UNN investigate reporter Michael Liberty has "confirmed" this as truth.

The UNN has an undisclosed relationship with the Terran Confederacy; sometimes it seems to be their puppet, and at other times its reporters can antagonize the Confederacy government.

History
The UNN has reported on a number of newsworth events, such as the Sons of Korhal  attack on the Ghost Academy of Tarsonis. Approximately three months before the attack by the Protoss on Chau Sara, UNN dispatched investigative reporter Michael Liberty onto the Confederacy Alpha Squadron command ship Norad II in order to keep him safe after he stirred up too much political trouble on Tarsonis.

The Norad II was sent rushing to Chau Sara after the attack on the world; Liberty got to see the Protoss handiwork on the now lifeless world. Realizing something was amiss, Liberty argued with Duke until he was thrown from the bridge. His reports started getting censored or "lost", especially as he continued to make negative observations about the Confederate military.

After witnessing the Confederate treating his new friend Jim Raynor terribly (throwing him in jail just for doing his job), narrowly avoiding being murdered by a "terrorist" (probably a Confederate agent) and meeting up with members of the Sons of Korhal, Liberty started working "with, not for" the Sons of Korhal.

False Reporting
Unfortunately for Liberty, UNN became little more than a propaganda mouthpiece for the Terran Confederacy. Liberty missed the opportunity to report on the destruction of Chau Sara after sparking an argument with Edmund Duke on the bridge of the Norad II. The Confederates released small bits of "non-news" emphasizing the heroism of the Confederates and the "cowardice" of the Protoss.

Liberty's broadcasts were either "lost" or "creatively edited" until they often said the exact opposite of what Liberty had intended; indeed, the reports now said whatever the Confederacy wanted them to say.

Arcturus Mengsk showed him a flat-screen report of an idealized version of Michael Liberty, which appeared as the Confederates panicked. The fake Liberty claimed that he had just escaped from the Sons of Korhal, who had captured him on Mar Sara shortly before the world was burned by the Protoss. He also claimed that Mengsk released "poisonous" mind control drugs on the populace of Antiga Prime, killing some and mutating others into strange shapes. He also claimed that a Sons of Korhal saboteur released a "virulent toxin" onto the Norad II, causing it to crash. Some soldiers, including Duke, became "mentally reprogrammed zombies" for the purpose of harming Confederate morale, while others were killed by Mengsk's Zerg "allies", however, there was no need to worry because the Confederates had blockaded the planet and the "terrorists should be destroyed in a few days". Mengsk mocked the report for because they obviously "laid it on thick".

Mengsk said he preferred to use holograms because they were harder to fake. Liberty was so angry he no longer wanted anything to do with the Confederacy.

As the war against the Protoss, Zerg and Sons of Korhal wore on, the Confederacy even used the organization to help recruit troops. Manipulating the media was one of the Confederacy's favorite weapons, but in the end it was destroyed by the very villain it had helped to create - Arcturus Mengsk.

Another reporter made another fake broadcast about the situation on Antiga Prime. The report claimed that Mengsk and the Protoss had hatched a deal; as long as Mengsk got to be ruler of Antiga Prime, the Protoss would have the rest of the Confederacy. The timing of the report, however, showed the lie; Antiga Prime had already been burned by the Protoss. No one could claim ownership of the planet.

Many of the citizens of Tarsonis had a hard time believing the fake reports.

Dealing with the Devil
Mengsk lured the Zerg to destroy Tarsonis and abandoned his officer, Lieutenant Sarah Kerrigan, on a space platform over the planet. This action caused his other officer, Jim Raynor, to abandon him. Editor-in-chief Handy Anderson, suborned by Mengsk, offered Liberty a "cush" position in Mengsk's propoganda organization, but Liberty rejected him. Instead, he wrote a "manifesto" stating many of the pitfalls of the Terran Confederacy and Arcuturus Mengsk; it also attempted to reverse the damage done to his reputation by the Confederates "editing" his previous reports.

Fate
UNN survived the destruction of Tarsonis and was folded into the new Terran Dominion (it has reported on Mengsk's coronation speech and various Dominion projects). Handy Anderson himself survived the deluge and is now one of Mengsk's many pawns.

Shows
Two of the most popular UNN shows are "Universe Tonight", a news talk program, and "Universe Today", which has previously hosted stress therapists.

"Tarsonis and You" was a talk show hosted by E. B. James. It featured debates between politicians and reporters. One debated centered around an aide to a member of the Confederate Council and a UNN reporter, Jennifer Schlesinger, debating the war between the Sons of Korhal and the Confederacy against the backdrop of alien attacks. James introduced Schlesinger by saying she was reporting on Antiga Prime but was forced to flee because of the Sons of Korhal "takeover" of the world. Schlesinger agreed - to a point - with the Sons of Korhal actions.

Known Staff

 * Handy Anderson: Acrophobic editor-in-chief with bushy eyebrows. Now working for Mengsk as a propagandist.
 * Mara Greskin: Due to "cracking someone off" or a similar misdemeanor, Greskin, in addition to reporters for UNN's gossip columns, was assigned to cover Nova Terra's 15th birthday party, such events only really worthy of UNN's gossip columns. In the past, she'd interviewed Detective Malcolm Kelerchian once or twice, asking him out to dinner, to which he accepted. The results were disastrous.
 * E.B. James: Hosted the talk show "Tarsonis and You."
 * Michael Liberty: Former reporter, now freelance. Was known for "getting things right most of the time."
 * Jennifer Schlesinger: Covered Antiga Prime for UNN before its fall to the Zerg. Described as "a pretty woman with dark hair and thin-rimmed spectacles."
 * Genna Xann of Universe Tonight.