Part 1: Situation Definition
Shattered Glass is a film documenting Stephen Glass and the downward spiral of his career at The New Republic. In the movie, Glass is eventually found guilty of breaking the ethical requirements of being a journalist when he lies continuously about the stories he is writing to make them more “interesting”
To me, two ethical messages that stick out to me are loyalty and honesty. Glass broke his loyalty to his readers by being dishonest to them and he broke his loyalty to the publication by fabricating stories he knew could eventually be discovered and destroy the credibility of the New Republic. One of the main goals, if not the main goal, of journalists is to pursue the truth. When Glass was dishonest to his readers and to his friends around the office he showed that he cared more about the attention he got from the stories he was writing than about putting in the necessary work for an honest story. He continued to disrespect his colleagues when he made up lie after lie until he had no more lies left to stand on.
The film starkly contrasted Glass from his boss, Chuck, first portraying Glass as the likable fun one, but eventually Chuck came to the front as the true journalist and his ethics shined through.
Part 2: Analysis
In my opinion, Stephen’s reasoning for what he did stems from his need for fame or at least the need to be liked. In the film, Glass goes back and visits one of his teachers and speaks to her class lying about his career and his supposed ethics. In the office he showers people with complements and panics when he thinks anyone is mad at him. Pitching these fake ideas and getting such a great reaction from his colleagues and then getting such good feedback on his finished articles was a need for Glass. He would have, and did, do anything to get it.
I feel as though the ethical values at stake are honesty and loyalty because if he had those then he would never have done what he did lying to his readers and his colleagues. I feel as though as journalists you have the ethical and moral duty to your readers to tell them the truth since they trust you as a source of information. Lying to readers sets the precedent that anything we read in the news could be fiction and this is especially concerning when it is portrayed as fact.
Gail Saltz, a a psychiatrist with New York Presbyterian Hospital, is quoted in “Why Journalists Lie: The Troublesome Times and Janet Cooke, Stephen Glass, Jayson Blair, and Brian William” speaking on the topic of why we lie as human beings. “We start lying around age 4 or 5 when children gain an awareness of the use and power of language. This first lying is not malicious, but rather to find out, or test, what can be manipulated in a child’s environment,” said Saltz. “”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.”
I feel what Saltz mentions, about liars often have to lie more to cover for themselves, applies to Glass’ situation as well. He knows what he is doing is wrong, but now he is in too deep and the lie has to continue.
It is hard to think that there are other journalists out there that have lied; however in a case somewhat similar to Glass’, former New York Times reporter Jayson Blair fabricated stories and details. The article “Blair follows the ‘rules’” by Cynthia Cotts describes how Blair his behind a “nice guy” attitude to win over his colleagues when in reality he was deceiving them all. The article makes Blair out as if he did it purposefully and as a tactic of manipulation whereas Glass seems to be a young kid who got too obsessed with being liked and agreed with.
Part 3:
I think if I were in Glass’s shoes I would respect my readers enough to not continue to lie to them. Instead of being emboldened by the lies I believe I would feel ashamed and guilty and desperate come forward especially when I was starting to be questioned.
Part 4: References
Spurlock , J. (2016). WHY JOURNALISTS LIE: THE TROUBLESOME TIMES FOR JANET COOKE, STEPHEN GLASS, JAYSON BLAIR, AND BRIAN WILLIAMS. ProQuest , 73(1). Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/docview/ 2028122407?https://literature.proquest.com/lion?accountid=13158&pq-origsite=summon
Cotts , C. (n.d.). ProQuest . Retrieved from https://search-proquest- com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/docview/232277785/4E3B544D5D9F4ED0PQ/2? accountid=13158