Stephen Glass is one of, if not the most, prolific modern example of a lack of ethical standards and the necessity for verification in news reporting. There are many explanations for why Glass chose to lie and produce false articles- he can be see as deviant and harmful or confused and unaware of the magnitude of his actions due to his youth. Regardless of the “why” in this case, the fact is Glass acted unethically and hurt not only himself but journalism as a whole. In the aftermath of the scandal, The New Republic found 27 of Glass’ 41 pieces were wholly or partially falsified reports with fake sources, events and quotes. One large ethical issue, which is impossible to ignore in this case, is the issue of his lying. Why he lied is subjective, and possibly only Glass knows the definite answer although he may not know himself, as most liars are oblivious to their rationale.
I believe Glass was devious in his lying. He deliberately manipulated public opinion to his liking and continued to do so until he was caught. He would most likely have kept lying if he had kept getting away with it. In Ivor Shapiro’s Why They Lie: Probing the Explanations for Journalistic Cheating, Glass “longs to be admired and loved, he cheats to avoid rejection,” (Shapiro, 2006; pp. 262). While this is an observation of the character Stephen Glass in Glass’ The Fabulist, the fictional character is undoubtedly a representation of the real Glass. This observation is close to being revealing but it is missing one crucial part. Those who lie do so usually to avoid a truth which would display them in a negative light. Glass created lies to display himself in a positive light despite there being no threat of negative opinions. He wasn’t covering anything up, he was fabricating to expose himself more. This is why I classify Glass as devious in his lying. He did so deliberately to make himself more popular, not to prevent himself from becoming unpopular. Kant’s Categorical Imperative is applicable to this case I believe. Glass saw no duty to do the right thing here, he took advantage of journalisms reputation to proliferate himself- something which goes against the very morals of journalism.
Secondly, I found extremely intense in its ethical message the handling of Glass by his magazine, The New Republic. The absence of fact-checking and verification in the newsroom facilitated the deception. An employee can only be as good as their boss when it comes to professional standards in the office. “It’s odd that managers seem to trust so readily the journalists who report to them—and even to ignore the doubts that are raised from time to time, as in the Glass, Blair, Kelley, and Cooke cases before the scandals broke,” (Shapiro, 2006; 265). Placing absolute trust in anyone is dangerous, but in an industry as sensitive to facts as journalism it is especially dangerous. By not holding Glass more accountable, his editors showed him he could get away with cheating. The National Communication Association wrote, “The media is unique from other businesses in that their actions are not compelled by the law, but regulated after publication through torts,” (NCA, 2009; pp. 4). Since the law does not compel the news, the people producing the news must compel themselves to the highest standards. Sloppy ethical standards for review of articles only breed dishonest reporters who see an opening to advance their career through pageantry like Glass. While none of the core journalist ethical principals relate directly to this in my opinion, Mill’s Principle of Utility comes closest. By verifying stories thoroughly, society is granted the highest utility because the information they receive is accurate.
This case is extraordinarily important to journalism and media ethics in general. It is a great cautionary tale to all young journalists that even with pressure to be excellent, being mediocre and truthful is better than dishonest and successful. I learned through this that in journalism, the ultimate goal is to be truthful, accurate and informative. To be successful and popular would be an added bonus but first and foremost, we must be honest.