Situation Definition
Stephen Glass both as a person and character is an incredibly thought provoking individual who clearly has some psychological issues to go along with his ethical ones. I immediately look at Glass and wonder how he was able to not only lie and deceive his readers but people surrounding him every day, his co-workers and friends. In the portrayal in the movie Shattered Glass, the character of Stephen Glass most obviously struggles with Aristotle’s Golden Mean. He has no interest in finding the middle but lives in the excess.
The other typical ethical principle that Glass clearly violates is the Judeo-Christian Person as Ends. Glass allows the perspective that he cares about his co-workers come through but his actions are selfish. If he had been shown a mirror he would not want his peers treating him and their work like he had been acting.
Analysis
When in reference to Glass’ violation of Aristotle’s Golden Mean living in excess can be a major pull with many in journalism and it begins with getting into the business for the wrong reason. The basis of journalism is about finding truth, but many people enjoy seeing their name in the newspaper and want the fame that comes with it. In the article Why Journalists Lie: The troublesome Times for Janet Cooke, Stephen Glass, Jayson Blair and Brian Williams by Jefferson Spurlock he asks “Why do people lie? Self-esteem and social acceptance are two-factors.” (Spurlock, 2016). This matches exactly how Glass appeared to be motivated in the film.
I really look at the self-esteem factor that Spurlock mentions when in reference to Glass. It was common in the movie for Glass to ask his peers “Did I do something wrong?” This showed a lack of self-confidence and he would counter that through his lies. He knew, maybe unconsciously, that his deceit and lies were wrong but was addicted to the pleasure he got from his peers when they approved of his fantastic stories.
Along with the social acceptance Glass had to relish in the fame it brought him. He was a rising star in the media industry and that comes with the rewards of money and a strong reputation. I believe Glass was trying to keep up his reputation of having fantastic, unbelievable stories and was worried people would catch on if he stopped lying and writing regular stories.
The other key aspect I described in the introduction is the Judeo-Christian Person as Ends. This is most basically defined as treat others as you would want to be treated. Glass gets caught up in his own show and never thinks how he is hurting his co-workers and his readers. Perhaps if he had placed himself in the position of a reader he would have realized his actions would hurt more than help in the long run.
In analysis of the film in the article Shattered Glass, Movies, and the Free Press Myth Matthew C. Ehrlich writes “Still, they make his character softer and more sympathetic. In addition, Billy Ray deleted a scene from the original screenplay draft that had depicted Lane as Shattered Glass 109 glumly resigned over his complicity in Glass’s deceptions.” (Ehrlich, M.C. 2005) This is showing how even in the movie they could have made Glass more severe of a character. In the end his true characteristics come out when he shows how little he cares about his co-workers. He only wants to save his career and never thought of how his actions could hurt other.
Conclusion
Overall, no matter how psychologically askew Glass may be his actions were not acceptable in any way. For Glass, there is no way to right his wrongs. He ethically was flawed while with the New Republic and I find it hard to believe that he will be able to correct that in his future. At this point the answer has to start with the editors. No matter how charming, exciting or funny the stories are the loyalty has to be to the readers first. The Newspaper forum of the journalism takes a back seat to what is right for the readers.
This is the only way readers will begin to trust journalists again. If their favorite stories continue to be proven false or “fake news” they will have no reason to trust the journalism of any publication. Editors have to be extremely careful if they want readers and the public to trust news sources moving forward, or else the press will have no value to the public anymore which opens up a very dangerous world.
References
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
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