Episode 4 of *The Paper* kicks off with a swarm of high school students flooding into the offices of *The Toledo Truth Teller* newspaper. The students are taken aback to discover that the writers possess scant experience. Among the staff, Mare emerges as the sole seasoned journalist, exuding an air of competence that sets her apart from her colleagues. One of the students conducts an interview with Ned, only for Adam to step in and humiliate him.
During the interview, the student informs Ned that *The Toledo Truth Teller* now faces stiff competition from an online news outlet, *SoWesley*, helmed by a high school student. Ned is stunned to learn that Wesley, the teenage proprietor of the site, boasts a staggering 300,000 subscribers. Consumed by envy, Ned leaves a sarcastic comment on one of the articles.
Mare reveals her alumni status at the high school the visiting students attend. She also stumbles upon the news that the school's music teacher, Mr. K, is about to retire. Seizing the opportunity, she decides to interview Mr. K for the paper. Meanwhile, Oscar expresses his desire to review the play that Mr. K is directing for the high school.
Esmeralda informs Ned that Wesley has penned an article ridiculing him. Ken advises Ned to apologize to Wesley, emphasizing that the young blogger is a respected journalist in their city. Simultaneously, Detrick crafts a carved bird for Nicole and places it on her desk. Nicole confides in Mare about the gift, expressing concern that Detrick has overstepped boundaries.
Travis cautions Detrick that he's moving too fast and alarming Nicole. Ken persuades Ned to call Wesley, but the conversation deteriorates rapidly. Esmeralda then takes charge of the call and extends an invitation to Wesley to join *The Toledo Truth Teller* online as a journalist. Wesley accepts the offer, prompting Ken to commend Esmeralda for her initiative.
However, some time later, Esmeralda confides in Ned that Wesley has authored a defamatory article about her. United in their indignation, the two plot to take down *SoWesley*. Ken, feeling threatened by Ned's growing bond with Esmeralda as they conspire together, voices his concerns. Ned proposes a plan to send Wesley a bogus press release, aiming to expose his lack of fact-checking and tarnish his reputation.
Mare and Oscar arrive at the school auditorium, only to witness Mr. K berating the students. During their interview, Mare reminisces about auditioning for one of Mr. K's plays. She alleges that Mr. K selected another student over her, despite the girl being less talented.
Mare drops a bombshell revelation: the father of another student had bought an ad in the school newsletter, a move that sends the teacher into a fit of fury. Oscar is taken aback when he discovers that Mare's sole purpose for showing up at the school was to unmask Mr. K. Detrick finds himself treading on thin ice around Nicole after she abruptly starts giving him the cold shoulder.
Oscar loathes the play and doesn't hold back in his scathing review. Mare, in contrast, has unearthed a wealth of evidence against Mr. K, yet she's unable to clinch a definitive proof. At the eleventh hour, Mare receives a phone call from an anonymous source who discloses that Mr. K had lied about his attendance at Juilliard.
Esmeralda and Ned are over the moon as they celebrate Wesley's publication of the fake news. Esmeralda pens a scathing news article that exposes Wesley's deceit, but Ned finds himself questioning whether he made the right call in bringing down a high school student.
In the parking lot, Detrick musters up the courage to tell Nicole that he harbors feelings for her, but hastens to clarify that his feelings are far from obsessive. Ned offers his congratulations to Mare for crafting a brilliant article, even in the face of the backlash she's been receiving.
The episode draws to a close with Travis catching a glimpse of Detrick and Nicole sharing a tender kiss.
