“It's true, journalism is hard work. Everybody's under pressure. Everybody grinds to get the issue out. Nobody's getting any sleep, but you are allowed to smile every once in awhile” (Stephen Glass).
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to lose your career? Shattered Glass, the movie, is a true story of a young journalist that lost his job at the New Republic, when it was found that he had fabricated over half of his articles. For journalists like Glass, lies can be described as barriers where, there’s no way to get around them. These lies can become great obstacles and have the potential to ruin one's career. When analyzing the movie on this young writer’s story, one can clearly understand what lead to Stephen’s career demise. Through lying trends and holes in the editing process, Stephen Glass’s career quickly began and ended.
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Looking for a shortcut to fame, Glass faked sources, quotes, and even entire stories.
These falsified stories helped him get ahead at his job, with other companies watching his “talent” closely. Unfortunately, Stephen Glass’ own ambition ended his career as a journalist and eventually prevented him from passing the bar exam. When watching this film, viewers can pick up on various lines that Stephen continuously repeats. In tense and nervous situations, Glass tends to blurt out “Are you mad at me?” In similar situations, when job offers from other magazines are brought up, Glass avoids the pending questions and replies, ¨Oh it’s probably nothing,” to his colleagues. Though seemingly unnoticeable to the New Republic, viewers of the film can easily read these
situations. Most magazines across the United States tend to have similar editing process. At the New Republic, each article is put through a grueling editing and publishing system. After the piece is finished, it goes to the senior editor, then goes back to the author, then goes to another editor, then back to the author, then to a fact checker, then to a copy editor, then the piece is looked through by lawyers to make sure no laws are broken, then the owner read the article, then finally the piece is put through production to see how it will look on the page. At the New Republic they go through this process twice! To any civilian, it would seem impossible to make up stories with this process in mind. However, Stephen Glass explains a “hole” in the editing system. Though numerous facts can be checked through reliable sources (including the internet, or through witnesses), some facts in an article can only be found in the journalist’s notes. Due to this, Glass was able to make up entire stories that were printed true, because the article’s facts lined with Glass’ notes. An example of one of Stephen’s made-up articles can be known as Spring Breakdown. The story took place at a CPAC conference for young republican’s in Washington’s Omni Shoreham Hotel, 5th floor. Though the entire plot was fake, there was truly a CPAC conference in Washington. However, one “fact” in the article did not line up. After receiving a call from the CPAC conference, Michael Kelly (senior-editor at the time) brought Glass into his office. The person had told Kelly that a detail in Spring Breakdown, about mini alcohol beverages, couldn’t possibly be true because the hotel did not provide mini-fridges in their rooms. Flustered, Stephen Glass explained that he made a minor error and that the mini-fridge was not part of the room, but rented through the hotel. Michael Kelly then checked with the hotel about this, but failed to ask if the 5th floor CPAC conference rented the mini-fridges. Months later, after Kelly had been fired from the New Republic, Stephen Glass waited for his old editor at his new job (Atlantic Monthly). Glass’ main point was to get Michael Kelly to sympathize with him. Stephen had just been discovered and fired, and was going through a really tough time. but instead of taking Glass’ side, Michael Kelly cared more about the Spring Breakdown piece. He asked, “Did you cook one of those stories when I was editor? The young conservatives piece, was it true?” This single moment changed Stephen’s opinion, now knowing that no one believed him anymore. Later in the night, Chuck Lain (the current senior-editor) read through all of Glass’ articles. He found that 27 out of 41 Stephen Glass articles were completely false. This quickly ended the young journalist's career. In the movie Shattered Glass, director Billy Ray adroitly shows how Stephen Glass is willing to lie just to further his career as a journalist. All of his colleagues adore him because of his wit and talent. However, Stephen Glass has a great deal of flaws as well. He is prepared to cheat and lie his way to fame. The staff writers continually read between the lines of his stories, but eventually the truth became clear. Glass had printed lies at the New Republic… the in-flight magazine of Air Force One. For him, the only way to succeed had to be quick and rewarding. For many journalists, overcoming great obstacles, alike to lying, can be very troublesome and complicated. Taking the difficult, yet honest, route to success is not easy, however in the end… it truly can eliminate journalism barriers.
Devin Friedman is a creative storyteller who incorporates observant details in his writings, which makes the readers feel like as if they are part of the adventure. Devin attended the University of Michigan, and he was awarded as the winner of the Hopwood Contest. This contest was hosted by the university committee who appoints experienced judges and the Ann Arbor community to select winners in different writing divisions. In his recent years, Devin wrote for numerous publications such as The Best American Crime Writing, The Best American Travel Writing, The New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Esquire, People's Stories, and GQ. Out of the many articles Friedman has written in the past, “The Best Night $500,000 Can Buy,” “Famous People: James Franco,” and “The Unbearable Awkwardness of Being” are the ones I have chosen to read because of the interesting subject matters and the different writing styles.
Shepard, Alicia. “Deep Throat’s Legacy to Journalism”. NPR Books. 19 December 2008. Web. 14 November 2013.
In the documentary film, Page One: Inside The New York Times, the inner world of journalism is revealed through journalists David Carr and Brian Stelter as the newspaper company The New York Times, struggles to keep alive within a new wave of news journalism. The film is dedicated to reveal the true inner mechanics of what modern day new journalists face on a daily basis and leaves the audience almost in a state of shock. It broadcasts news journalism as yes, an old school method of news generation, but it also highlights an important component that reveals the importance behind this “old school” methodology. We often think that progression always correlates with positive products, but the documentary insists that within the case of modern journalism, the new wave method is actually a detriment that can reap negative consequences.
It is not uncommon to hear people complaining about what they hear on the news. Everyone knows it and the media themselves knows it as well. Some of the most renowned journalists have even covered the the media’s issues in detail. Biased news outlets have flooded everyday news. We find that journalism’s greatest problems lie in the media’s inability for unbiased reporting, the tendency to use the ignorance of their audience to create a story, and their struggles to maintain relevance.
Self-motivation and determination are two of the main ideals of being journalist. If a journalist does not have the desire to find and report a story, he has no career. A journalist depends on finding the facts, getting to the bottom of the story and reporting to the public, whether it’s positive or negative. Janet Malcom states in the book The Journalist and the Murderer, “Every journalist who is not too stupid or too full of himself to notice what is going on knows that what he does is morally indefensible.” (Malcolm, 3) Her starting words speak volumes about “the Journalist and the Murderer” and the lessons that can be learned.
Self is one’s own identity and social position. However, Morrie dislikes society and media’s influence on a person’s sense of self. The digital age has changed life course and patterns of interaction. There are more miscommunications and media has corrupted and dictated the definition of pop-culture. Media and pop-culture have taken over and have fabricated an image of what a perfect life is, which everyone has begun to believe is true. For example, Mitch dropped his ambition and passion of becoming a musician because he did not want to be viewed as a failure. He became a well-paid journalist so society will respect him. Becoming a well-paid journalist, however, took away from his family life and caused him to change from who he was before, a person Morrie misses. Morrie suggests that you should create your own “self”. Morrie teaches Mitch to “forget what culture says” (116) and forget the concept of looking glass self, which emphasizes the degree to which our own self-understanding depends on how others view us. This concept can be seen within Mitch. He works hard day and night to write a column that is up to his boss and society’s standards, but to find that it will not be published because the union he is under is on strike. Morrie notices Mitch’s lack of compassion for his job and wants Mitch to pursue an independent way of thinking. Looking glass self is a prime example of “SI” perspective because it shows how society has a huge hand in shaping someone. Morrie’s ideology is similar to Oscar Wilde’s idea of “be yourselves; everyone else is taken.” During, the O.J. Simpson trial Mitch understands the venomous part of media during the and realizes he is stuck between cultural norms. He decides that society does not define and that it is not necessary to follow the “ideal path does not need to follow the “ideal” path. Furthermore, this ideal
The 21st century marks the crisis of journalism as the rise of social media and the oversaturation of news outlets for consumers has caused a steady decrease in viewership, especially in younger viewers, as well as the inevitable death of the traditional newspaper. According to Geoffrey Baym, the public has become increasingly dissatisfied with the quality of news mediums as the lines between news (public) and business interests are being increasingly blurred. This is due to major news network like NBC, CBS, or ABC turning their news programs into “infotainment”. The emphasis of these news programs are on entertainment rather than reporting on traditional current events and politics. Although traditional journalism is coming to a close, alternative methods of journalism have emerged. One such example is The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. While the main objective of the show is to entertain, increasingly more people are gathering their information about current events from satirical news programs like The Daily Show and late-night talk shows. The Daily Show establishes itself as a credible, alternative source of journalism by using satire to question figures of authority, critique current events by use of parody, and create a forum for discussion of subjects related to democracy.
In world where you are only as good as the next headline, Bob Woodward played by Robert Redford is an inexperienced journalist working for the Washington Post, who was selected to take on a burglary story pertaining to the five men caught at the Water Gate complex. Bob Woodward arrives at a local courthouse where the five men are standing trial, while going into his routine in seeking core information obtain detain for the story. He discovers that the men had used spy bugging devices in their burglary attempt and James McCord, one of the five men reveals to the judge that he recently left the CIA. A confession that ultimately connects him all the way to President Nix...
Stephen Randall Glass was an up and rising journalist who graduated from Penn in 1995 to later on join The New Republic as an editorial assistant. During his stay there, he was known for his remarkable articles throughout his career such as the “Hack Heaven” which was published in 1998. However, as his career as a journalist began to skyrocket, the articles he was putting out were fabricated and invented. With thorough investigation from Adam Penenberg, a reporter with Forbes magazine, he was able to point out the flaws and false sources from the remarkable article, “Hack Heaven”. Unfortunately, The New Republic were going to be heavily affected for releasing fictional news. To resolve the situation, Lane, the editor at The New Republic, had
Overall, in the last few months of working in mock news days, I have learnt the true factors behind what we see on our television screens. It is a very narrow view on the world, and often a mixture of logistics and legislation prevent some news from even entering our televisions. I found that sometimes the most interesting and valuable of news topics is not picked in order to prevent things such as copycat behaviour and also because a person in unavailable. Broadcast journalism is heavily based on pictures for our viewers to be told the story, and that words are used just to enhance the story. Overall, I believe our mock news days have truly reflected what it is like to work in a real life broadcast environment, and the stress and pressures journalists work through in order to put news on our screens.
Shattered Glass starring Hayden Christensen, Peter Sarsgaard, and Steve Zahn, is a movie based on a true story inspired by Stephen Glass. Stephen Glass was a fraudulent journalist based at The New Republic. In 1998 the editor, Chuck Lane, played by Peter Sarsgaard questioned if Glass’ stories were true facts or more for the reader’s entertainment.
An argument can be made that Journalism is one of the very few professions in the world of media that is handled with some sort of dignity and pride. After reading “The Elements of Journalism” by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel, I realized how important journalism is to each and every one of us. Whether you’re a writer or a reader, the back and forth exchange between provider and consumer is extremely important in pushing society forward. Journalism after all is designed to challenge society, promote new ideas and spark conversation between one another. Despite the positives of journalism, there are issues that exist within the profession that cannot be excused and cannot be ignored.
"Journalists and Social Media | The Changing Newsroom." The Changing Newsroom | New Media. Enduring Values. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. .
Journalism is type of writing that investigates and includes lots of research of good and bad stories and some events. Journalists tend to write news stories that people should know about and haven’t already heard. Journalism comes in different categories; some are reporters, writers, editors, and photographers. People who tend to like journalism are those who love language and enjoying writing and reading, are called journalist; they work as reporters at newspapers, magazines, websites, TV stations, and radio stations. Good journalists love to read and want to find out what is going on around them and the world. They write short and long stories as they must write true stories. Journalists write stories that are from real people and they make the stories real too. People are not interested in reading newspapers now as much as they used to long time ago. These days’ people carry news on their iPods, cell phones, laptops, and more. They can even watch them on TV. A long time ago people knew the news through newspapers or the rich would have a radio which was the only way to know what is going in the world, but now news are everywhere.
McLoed and Hawley (as cited in Wilson, 1995) elucidated appropriately, "a recurrent journalistic controversy has involved the question whether journalism is a true profession or merely a craft." Sparked primarily by Lippmann and Dewey, extending into the age of the penny press (mid 1980s) and later, the attempt to commercialise the news (late 1980s) to our present era, there has existed a contentious debate on journalism being distinguished as a profession (Wilson, 1995). Encapsulated in a democratic homeland since the advent of time, media systems are habitually acclaimed as the “fourth power,” with its journalists often hailed as the “watch-dogs” of such a society. Lending itself to act as ‘gatekeeper’ for the wider society and performing the traditional role of journalism, the media (overall) exist as powerful “instruments of knowledge” that perform the function of providing information to the masses in a public sphere, where issues may be discussed, justified and contested (Scannell, 1995, p. 17). Evidently, media workers play a pivotal role in our society; however, their status in the realm of professions is not definite.