Situation Definition:
“Shattered Glass” is a story that explores the dark reality of journalism. Fabrication, plagiarism, dishonesty, betrayal…and just how far it can go. Stephen Glass garnered a reputation as the most sought-after reporter in the Nation’s Capital through his use of those very journalistic sins. He is a great example of the lengths one can go to, and the consequences for those who push their luck to its absolute limits.
Journalism is a field that invites its reporters in with a welcoming and positive attitude that carries no preconceived notions of wrongdoing. Therefore, it can take awhile before those like Glass are discovered working among us. The story calls into question how much of this behavior is out there unnoticed, and victims these missteps can affect.
Can fact-checking procedures really protect against fabrication and plagiarism? Are ethical codes a proper defense?
Analysis:
Glass told Steve Kroft of CBS’s 60 Minutes in 2003, “I loved the electricity of people liking my stories. I loved going to story conference meetings and telling people what my story was going to be, and seeing the room excited. I wanted every story to be a home run.” (Spurlock, 2016).
It’s a slippery slope. An addiction. Once it starts working, and the benefits are reaped, it’s incredibly hard to stop. In “Why Journalists Lie: The Troublesome Times For Janet Cooke, Stephen Glass, Jayson Blair, and Brian Williams”, Jefferson Spurlock cites the words of Gail Sutlz: “ Lying often gets worse with the passage of time. When you get away with a lie it often impels you to continue your deceptions. Also, liars often find themselves perpetrating more untruths to cover themselves.”
This calls on a universal truth for even those outside of the journalism: the quest for approval, for affirmation, for admiration.
Glass fed off of the regular meetings in which he would put his sensationalized stories on display in a performance for his co-workers. It’s this evidence that supports that he committed these acts not for the quality of his stories, not for personal writing advancement, but purely for the emotional affects.
Can organization ethical codes really prevent this? Not exactly. They set a precedent for ethical practices, rules to follow, and review process that checks all the boxes. But it will always land on the integrity of the writer to decide whether these acts will be committed.
In “Low-Stakes Decisions and High-Stakes Dilemmas”, author Joy Jenkins noted a more effective method of regulating the writing process. “The organizations with which [journalists] work shaped their decision-making, although rarely through formal ethics codes. Rather, they emphasized a more virtue-oriented approach emphasizing individual practices and standards and moral reasoning. ‘I think what it always comes down to is, you just have to have an inner sense of where the line is…’” (Jenkins, 2017)
Conclusion:
Corrupt writers like Glass can be prevented through the implementation of a true motivation to do the right thing. It needs to be made clear and openly talked about at every turn. That is the most we can do: there is a hard limit to the amount of oversight that can be given to this problem. If organizations and their editors make a concerted effort to achieve their best work, Glass clones will be few and far between.
References:
Jenkins, J. (2017). Low-Stakes Decisions and High-Stakes Dilemmas: Considering the Ethics Decision-Making of Freelance Magazine Journalists. Journal of Media Ethics, 32(4), 188-201. doi:10.1080/23736992.2017.1359609
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.