Shattered Glass--a movie written and directed by Billy Ray, portrays the life of a journalist who is young, ambitious and eager to succeed at all costs. It is the story of Stephen Glass, a reporter for the prestigious, New Republic Magazine--A magazine, which boasts itself as the only magazine for Air Force One.
At one level, the movie attempts to unravel a profession, which is challenging, competitive and is constantly coaxing its professionals to strive for higher excellence. On the other hand it uncovers a deeper aspect of the profession itself. An aspect that is quintessential to the integrity of journalism and journalists around the globe.
Watching this movie, made me realize 2 key aspects of being a journalist. One being Accuracy and the importance of double checking facts, figures and sources. The other being, the importance of Ethics in journalism.
At the out start of the movie it is very easy to identify with the protagonist who fabricated 27 of the 41 articles he wrote for the New Republic magazine during the late 1990s. Here is a man, whose character reeks with charm and an innocence that is almost irresistible�irresistible not only for the audience but also to his colleagues at the New Republic. We find that Stephen provides enthusiasm and zest to his peers. He somehow, always seems working on the most captivating and sensational stories to a point where his editors look forward to hearing what he is working on. He is what every young, aspiring journalist would ever hope to be and what every educational institution would like to behold as a beacon of their pride.
Then too, as the movie progresses there is a subtle yet very definite transition in the tone of the movie. It shifts from the audience initially totally identifying with Stephen Glass to identifying with Chuck Lane, the new editor at the New Republic. It begins to unravel the nuances in Stephen�s personality. His downfall comes with his article named Hack Heaven, which attracts the attention of forbes.com, an online editorial. It is then that the lies under which he had basked in and violated the trust of his coworkers are fully unmasked. The audience is then exposed to a person who is an obsessive, compulsive liar. One who would go to great lengths, just to be admired by his peers. An individual who is immature and more importantly, someone who has a staggeringly low understanding about the impact his lies could have, not only to his career as a journalist but to the institution itself. This is clearly depicted in the movie when he continues to lie and finds ways to offset them. In fact, the first words that normally come out of his mouth whenever questioned is: �Sorry� or �I haven�t done anything wrong�. Knowing he has secured the confidence of his peers, he strives to garner their attention and sympathy when Chuck Lane the new editor, simply wants to check the facts.
Even though the movie does not delve very deep into the question of �Why� he did what he did, we do question the notion of Institutional Ethics and the impact it could have on a person. We find Stephen crushed between two institutions that had an equally commanding effect on his life and its decisions�His family and �the New Republic�
We find that even though the protagonist�s forte lay in fictional writing, there was a hint that his family had high expectations from and of him, to succeed at all costs. Thus, trapping him into a profession where he neither had the interest nor the skill to succeed.
On the other hand, we have the New Republic itself. A magazine flooded with new and hopeful young professionals, who were forced to work hard and settle for low salaries. Nevertheless, a group of people who wanted to succeed at all costs. Therefore, we cannot help but assume that these two factors may have prompted Glass to resort to unethical behavior.
Then too, the movie does teach its audience that journalism is not about fiction, it is rather, about reporting facts and backing it with sufficient evidence. It also brings to the forefront, issues like professional codes of conduct. In that, while an apology may be sufficient to forge ahead in personal relationships, in a professional world an apology is a very inadequate term. It fails to correct and repair the damage it could have on the reputation of an organization and on the institution that it rests itself on. The movie successfully, conveys to its audience the incredible responsibility that rests on the shoulder of each journalist. Responsibility to the organization and also to its readers. It raises important questions about putting premiums on entertaining reporting and producing stories for an audience that is constantly on the lookout for edgier stories.
Just as Stephen Glass put it in his speech: �Journalism is the art of capturing behavior�, he probably was successful in capturing the lifeline of the newsroom, but his excessive effort to do the same, may have contributed to the shattering of his career as a journalist.
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