Situation Definition
The movie “Shattered Glass” portrays true events following Stephen Glass, a young and ambitious reporter for the prestigious The New Republic magazine. Glass faced his downfall from his position as a coveted and successful reporter when it was revealed through an investigation by Forbes Magazine that over half of the articles he had written for The New Republic were fabricated in part or completely.
Many stories were concocted to be perfect, gripping, and almost unreal sounding. Glass went to extreme measures to try to cover up his mistakes and deceive fact checkers, earning himself a place in the journalism world as a one of the top examples of deceitful journalism.
Analysis
Fabrication is a serious offense within the journalism world, hurting readers and publications alike. It is a form of lying and deceit and not acceptable or tolerated in the industry. This was something Glass knew as an educated professional, so why did he do it? Glass’ own published account of his actions, The Fabulist, tells a story of personal emotional and mental struggles that blurred the lines between right and wrong while working under pressure. While these are difficult issues for one to deal with, does this justify his actions?
Associate Dean at Ryerson University’s School of Journalism, Ivor Shapiro, writes of the pressures Glass face in a journal article, “He finds himself increasingly encouraged to write ‘snarky, glib, superior’ copy and learns that what a journalist is looking for is ‘a good story; accuracy’s only half of it’. None of this kind of pressure will be foreign to true-life feature writers in positions comparable to Glass’.” (Shapiro, 2006, p.262). Glass may have been feeling a large amount of pressure but in no way were his actions an exception to the ethical standard, given that other journalists face the same situations and can do their jobs without using dishonesty.
In an essay on infamous cases of fabrication in journalism, Dr. Jefferson Spurlock, director and professor of the Hall School of Journalism and Communication at Troy University, writes about the effects of such deceit, “Reporters are normally thought of as credible news deliverers. But when some stretch the truth through fabrication or lies, their credibility declines.” (Spurlock, 2016, p.74). Fabrication in any capacity brings up the issue of trust — trust between a reporter and their publication and colleagues as well as trust between readers and the publication. By writing fake stories or making up information, a reporter fails their obligation to provide accurate information to the public.
This failure to report the truth hurts the credibility of not just that reporter, but of all journalists. When Glass’ actions were uncovered, his colleagues were forced to question his authenticity. And on a wider scope, The New Republic’s reputation was then questioned by its readers.
Conclusion
Although it is unfortunate that Stephen Glass’ career took the course it did (becoming one of the most well-known cases of fraudulent journalism), Glass’ mistakes are ones that all journalists can learn from. Breaking away from the ethical, honest journalism, ends careers and dirties the name of the individual journalist, the publication, and journalism as a whole. From Glass’ ethical failures, I see the repercussions of dishonestly and straying from journalism’s ethical code.
References
Shapiro, I. (2006). Why They Lie: Probing the Explanations for Journalistic Cheating. Canadian Journal of Communication, 31(1), 261–266. https://doi-org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.22230/cjc.2006v31n1a1595
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.