noun jour·nal·ism \ˈjər-nə-ˌli-zəm\
journalism: the activity or job of collecting, writing, and editing news stories for newspapers, magazines, television, or radio.
The definition of failure according to the Webster Dictionary:
noun fail·ure \ˈfāl-yər\
failure: omission of occurrence or performance; specifically : a failing to perform a duty or expected action.
When you put these two words together it results in something catastrophic and ultimately disloyal to the entire public. This past week Rolling Stone is retracting a 9,000 word story about a gang rape that allegedly occurred on the campus of the University of Virginia.
The story describes a fraternity house, Phi Kappa Psi, sexually assaulting the victim, Jackie. The reporter used Jackie as her sole source and didn't bother to fact check what Jackie had told her.
This one sided sourcing and refusal to check your facts makes me as a journalist cringe. It is heavy stuff to report on sexual assault, for the reporter, the victims, and the assailants as well. While I'm not discrediting the fact that something horrible might have happened to Jackie, I think it is proper that the Rolling Stone is retracting this story. Unfortunately their reputation as a source of journalistic truth might be bruised a little after this blunder.
To read the full story and grasp a few more details click on the link below.
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