Columbia Journalism School report on Rolling Stone and UVA rape story

http://news.yahoo.com/katie-couric-interviews-uva-student-ryan-duffin-on-rolling-stone-rape-on-campus-story-192239916.html

A good read while waiting for the 8pm report. Explains the fabrication of non-existent UVA student Haven Monahan.

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/a-rape-on-campus-what-went-wrong-20150405

Reading it now.

Here’s the author’s apology.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/06/business/media/statement-from-writer-of-rolling-stone-rape-article-sabrina-erdely.html?_r=0

She doesn’t even apologize to the fraternity…

I would assume they’re included in the UVA community.

It is a very thorough review of all of the mistakes, assumptions and poor choices that led to the original erroneous article. And then there is this stunning conclusion:

.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/a-rape-on-campus-what-went-wrong-20150405#ixzz3WU2N1Wnz
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook

In other words, don’t bother us with the facts, when we are writing about a topic that will increase our sales.

From the report:

As it was certainly a factor here, on CC, in response to this whole mess (and other issues, as well). I would hope that we remember this rush to judgment the next time a sensational story arises. And I also hope for fewer sensational stories from reporters and editors doing their work carefully and responsibly.

The fraternity is the group of people most negatively affected by this. Not just at UVA but chapters of Phi Kappa Psi all over the country were extremely negatively affected by this. Greek life as a whole was given a negative black eye.

Cry me a river, fratboy! One bad story hardly balances the countless unreported and non correctly prosecuted crimes by Greek chapters.

This report was painful reading, to me personally and to all of us at Rolling Stone. It is also, in its own way, a fascinating document ­— a piece of journalism, as Coll describes it, about a failure of journalism. With its publication, we are officially retracting ‘A Rape on Campus.’ We are also committing ourselves to a series of recommendations about journalistic practices that are spelled out in the report. We would like to apologize to our readers and to all of those who were damaged by our story and the ensuing fallout, including members of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and UVA administrators and students. Sexual assault is a serious problem on college campuses, and it is important that rape victims feel comfortable stepping forward. It saddens us to think that their willingness to do so might be diminished by our failings.

Will Dana, Managing Editor

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/a-rape-on-campus-what-went-wrong-20150405#ixzz3WUHXbwiI
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook

Wow, xiggi – “countless unreported and non correctly prosecuted crimes by Greek chapters” – you’re about as reckless with your turn of a phrase as Ms. Rubin Erderly.

This story has special interest for me on many levels. I’m an attorney and former college journalist. I’m also the father of a daughter who’s a college sophomore, as well as a son in middle school. And, I was a Phi Psi at another university.

When the story first appeared, I was outraged that such a vicious crime may have occurred at a chapter of my fraternity, and was equally angry that the crime remained unpunished. But as the story quickly unravelled, I was astounded at the incompetence of Rubin Erderely and her colleagues at Rolling Stone, all of whom quite transparently were more interested in advancing an agenda than in reporting the truth. As many others have pointed out, this story has not only injured real people, but may well lead to a chilling effect on those who are actually victims of sexual assault – not only on campus, but in general society.

I’m astounded that, notwithstanding the scathing Columbia report, no one at Rolling Stone is apparently losing their job, and even more astonished that Rubin Erderly is going to write again for the magazine. That is the ultimate disgrace that caps this sordid episode.

Yes her NY Times piece apologizes to the “U.V.A.” community. That would be the University of Virginia’s Apoplectic rage at her incompetence and her going into hiding instead of quickly correcting her mistakes.

She’ll be a case study in journalism schools for the next couple decades.


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Wow, xiggi -- "countless unreported and non correctly prosecuted crimes by Greek chapters" -- you're about as reckless with your turn of a phrase as Ms. Rubin <<<

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Not at all. This site has had its share of stories that fits my analysis. Year after year, the newspapers deliver their supply of stories that have be under prosecuted. The unreported incidents are just business as usual at your Grrek infested campus.

The truth hurts. And parts of the problem with a story such as the Rolling Stone is that it sounded so believable to most everyone. Wonder why that is? Wonder why such behavior sounded entirely plausible! There is no smoke without fire. It just happens to be a fabricated one next to very serious and real ones that are routinely buried.

The silver lining is that it might increase the number of reports and the number of adequate prosecution when facts are corroborated.

scoop85 - Agree completely. The apologies from Rolling Stone ring very hollow - their reluctance to fire or discipline anyone speaks volumes. I am disgusted.

I hope Phi Psi sues and wins.

“Dana told The Post that although Rolling Stone’s procedures were essentially sound — and “failed in this one instance” — the magazine will be implementing suggestions the report makes.
He added, though, that he expects that Erdely will continue to write for the magazine. “Sabrina’s done great work for us over the years and we expect that to continue,” he said in his e-mail.”

Really, RS?

http://www.newsweek.com/another-rolling-stone-rape-article-has-major-holes-291257

RS didn’t retract the article until TODAY. They kept it posted on their website without modification for months after it was discredited, with just a weak disclaimer glued on the top. I’m not a lawyer, but I’d hate to be on the receiving end of a jury when that fact is highlighted in Phi Psi’s libel trial. And yes, that takes a tremendous amount of chutzpah to say that the reporter who is mostly responsible for this debacle and for the wasted energy of some many staffpersons and police officers will still be writing for your mag. Those detectives could have have been investigating real sexual assaults.

There have been cases in the past where a reporter lied to the editors. That does not appear to be the case in this situation. It looks like Ederly told her bosses about weaknesses in the story, and they still deemed the story ready for publication.

This is the most reckless and ignorant thing I’ve ever seen on this site. Greek life is the largest network of volunteers in college and donates the most money of any student group. We aren’t all idiots. Yes, some chapters are terrible, those chapters get kicked off campus. I fully admit that. But Greek Life is growing and becoming stronger every year. The cream is rising to the top and the bad chapters are dying.

So stop making things up. Stop generalizing and stereotyping. Let me know if you want to have a real, civilized conversation.

Imagine if this story were about a black man wrongfully accused (not a far-fetched scenario, either). Imagine he is completely exonerated in similar fashion to what just happened with Rolling Stone.

Would you really be going on about OTHER black men who have committed crimes that “fit my analysis?” Or “There is no smoke without fire,” and “it sounded so believable to most everyone.”

Really.

You will always find “others” who did horrible things.

These people didn’t.