Situation Definition
Journalists play a large role in society. They are the first people to report on breaking news, they are responsible for in-depth reporting to bring truth to light, and they are supposed to be somebody that the public can trust and count on. However, due to the actions of many unethical journalists the credibility of all journalists is frequently questioned.
One journalist heavily responsible for a loss of trust for journalists is Stephen Glass. Glass worked at the New Republic for many years, where he gained a large audience for writing many compelling stories. However, those stories were no longer credible after it was revealed that Glass had fabricated the majority of his pieces. By deceiving his audience Glass broke a huge ethical code for journalists that is to tell the public the truth.
During his reign at the New Republic, Glass was able to gain the trust of his co-workers and editor, allowing him to deceive them. Some co-workers went to great distances to back Glass up when speculation of his stories began. Once it was certain that Glass did in fact fabricate his stories, co-workers were heart broken. By upsetting many people, the New Republic journalist did not do his job as a journalist to be compassionate.
Analysis
It is crucial that Journalists have credibility. A journalist stays credible, by backing up their sources, by telling only the truth, and by consistently following all other ethical codes of journalists. When even just one journalist breaks an ethic code, the community of journalists loses trust as a whole.
In a journal titled Shattered Glass, Movies, and the Free Press Myth Matthew Elrich believes that a single journalist can be responsible for mistrust of many. Elrich (2005) writes, “the image of the journalist as upstanding professional and devoted truth seeker has often been undercut by journalists themselves, from the fabrications of The Washington Post’s Janet Cooke, The New York Times’s Jayson Blair, and USA Today’s Jack Kelley (p.105).” A journalist may lie because they feel pressured to meet a deadline, or to make their story more compelling
The acts of deception performed by Stephen Glass were enough to hurt those around him. Glass went to great distances to convince his editor and co-workers that he was not lying. Not only did Glass make up entire stories, he also made up sources. He created fake voicemails and even a fake website to cover up his tracks. Leading his friends at the New Republic and the public down a trail of lies caused a lot of harm. Glass upset those closest to him, and lost all credibility as not only a journalist but also as a friend.
Glass harmful acts were extremely selfish. I believe he fabricated stories so that he could be well liked. Jefferson Spurlock (2016) uses a source to compare Glass’s chronicle of lies to how politician shade the truth to win an elections in his journal, Why Journalists Lie: the Troublesome Times for Janet Cooke, Stephen Glass, Jayson Blair, and Brian Williams (p. 74). A journalist may become infatuated with the idea of being like.
Conclusion
After further investigation of the case study of Stephen Glass it is very apparent that Journalist must tell only the trust to stay credible to the public. Once trust is lost is often impossible to regain. Due to the actions taken by Glass during his time at the New Republic, he has lost all credibility. Glass will probably never work as a journalist again.
As a journalist it is vital that you stay compassionate and do not make decisions that will harm others. Stephen Glass was able to upset all of the people around him, as well as ruin the reputation of the New Republic. Journalists must think about how their actions will affect others.
References
Ehrlich, M. C. (2005). Shattered Glass, Movies, and the Free Press Myth. Journal of Communication Inquiry, 29(2), 103–118. https://doi-org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1177/0196859904272741
SPURLOCK, J. (2016). Why Journalists Lie: The Troublesome Times for Janet Cooke, Stephen Glass, Jayson Blair, and Brian Williams. ETC: A Review of General Semantics, 73(1), 71–76. Retrieved from http://ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=125698524&site=ehost-live&scope=site