Jane Mientkiewicz
COMM 409
The High Price of Lies
Stephen Glass was only 26 years old when it was exposed that he had fabricated over half of the stories he had written during his three year career at The New Republic magazine. “Journalistic deception is an act of communicating messages not only by lying but also by withholding information, so as to lead someone to have a false belief (Elliot and Culver, 1992),” (Dai and Lasorsa, 2007, 160). In committing journalistic deception, a writer breaks the golden rule of journalism: never lie to an audience. Lying to an audience breaks the bond of trust that readers have with a writer and the medium the information was received in. The high price of the risk involved in lying to an audience begs the question, why would one fabricate?
Of course, there is the promise of fame and achievement that comes with success in writing, but the guilt and difficulty in upholding so many falsehoods weighs against all that. “Some scholars considered journalistic deception as “an occupational construct” shaped by professional demands and newsroom culture (Lee, 2004, p. 109),” (Dai and Lasorsa, 2007, 160). The pressure of rapid deadlines and competition can put pressure on journalists. However, “it’s not enough to blame naked ambition…nor is the problem a lack of ability,” (Shapiro, 2006, 262). During his interview with 60 Minutes about his fictional book based on his experiences, Glass said about his motivation to fabricate, “I remember thinking, if I just had the exact quote that I wanted, it would be perfect,” (Shapiro, 2006, 262). Among dishonest reporters, “One such pattern could be the rising value given to narrative detail and storytelling values in today’s reporting,” (Shapiro, 2006, 264). However, this detail must be derived from the truth alone in order to retain the trusting relationship between the reader and writer. As soon as a deliberate lie is revealed, a writer’s credibility vanishes and that trust may never be regained, or if so, it will be a constantly uphill battle.
There is extreme care that must always be taken in writing something that will be published. Fact checkers and editors exist in order to avoid the consequences of even an accident, let alone a purposeful deception. Writers must depend on these systems and their colleagues while writing honestly, and must never try to break these systems. The price of deception is never worth the guilt and possible consequences that come from lying. Despite workplace pressure and temptations from fame, writers must always be honest with their editors, their colleagues, and especially their audience.
References
Lasorsa D.L., & Dai, J. (2007). NEWSROOM’S NORMAL ACCIDENT? An exploratory
study of 10 cases of journalistic deception. Journalism Practice, 1(2), 160-160. Retrieved
February 6, 2015, from https://cms.psu.edu/section/content/default.asp?WCI=pgDisplay&WCU=CRSCNT&ENTRY_ID=02C75E05390E462EB038F80F73702D2B
Shapiro, I. (n.d.). 261 Canadian Journal of Communication, Vol 31 (2006) 261-266 ©2006
Canadian Journal of Communication Corporation Why They Lie: Probing the
Explanations for Journalistic Cheating. Canadian Journal of Communication, 31(1), 262-264. Retrieved February 6, 2015, from https://cms.psu.edu/section/content/default.asp?WCI=pgDisplay&WCU=CRSCNT&ENTRY_ID=527EB03DA21B45A892CCA1D0308E836C