This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/apr/05/rolling-stone-uva-rape-story-columbia-school-journalism-review
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Rolling Stone apologises and removes UVA alleged rape story after review | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Rolling Stone on Sunday apologized and removed an article it published about an alleged gang rape at a University of Virginia (UVA) fraternity house, after an independent review outlined a “story of journalistic failure” at the magazine. | Rolling Stone on Sunday apologized and removed an article it published about an alleged gang rape at a University of Virginia (UVA) fraternity house, after an independent review outlined a “story of journalistic failure” at the magazine. |
| The author of the article, Sabrina Rubin Erdely, also apologized, offering her “deepest apologies: to Rolling Stone’s readers, to my Rolling Stone editors and colleagues, to the UVA community, and to any victims of sexual assault who may feel fearful as a result of my article”. | The author of the article, Sabrina Rubin Erdely, also apologized, offering her “deepest apologies: to Rolling Stone’s readers, to my Rolling Stone editors and colleagues, to the UVA community, and to any victims of sexual assault who may feel fearful as a result of my article”. |
| Related: It wasn’t Jackie’s job to get the details of her rape correct. It was Rolling Stone’s | Jessica Valenti | |
| The 13,000-word report, which was released by Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, evaluated the editorial process that led to the story’s publication, concluding that the magazine had failed to follow “basic, even routine journalistic practice”. | The 13,000-word report, which was released by Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, evaluated the editorial process that led to the story’s publication, concluding that the magazine had failed to follow “basic, even routine journalistic practice”. |
| On Sunday evening, the 9,000-word article, A Rape on Campus, was removed from Rolling Stone’s website and replaced with the Columbia report. The magazine requested the review in December. | On Sunday evening, the 9,000-word article, A Rape on Campus, was removed from Rolling Stone’s website and replaced with the Columbia report. The magazine requested the review in December. |
| Erdely’s piece, which was published in November, centered around a student identified only as “Jackie”, who described being raped by seven men during a party at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house in 2012. | Erdely’s piece, which was published in November, centered around a student identified only as “Jackie”, who described being raped by seven men during a party at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house in 2012. |
| The report found that Erdely’s first journalistic mistake was not speaking to Jackie’s three friends, who were quoted in the story and reportedly advised her not to report the incident to police. The report found that Rolling Stone did not make it clear that the journalist had not spoken to these friends, and that their quotes were as recalled by Jackie. | The report found that Erdely’s first journalistic mistake was not speaking to Jackie’s three friends, who were quoted in the story and reportedly advised her not to report the incident to police. The report found that Rolling Stone did not make it clear that the journalist had not spoken to these friends, and that their quotes were as recalled by Jackie. |
| Before Rolling Stone’s reporting was first questioned, the story had become a flashpoint in a national debate about sexual assault on college campuses. The high-profile article shook the southern school and sparked outrage across the country. | Before Rolling Stone’s reporting was first questioned, the story had become a flashpoint in a national debate about sexual assault on college campuses. The high-profile article shook the southern school and sparked outrage across the country. |
| The Columbia report chronicled several errors, missteps and failures by the reporter, her editors and the Rolling Stone newsroom, which could have been avoided had they followed certain “reporting pathways”, it said. | The Columbia report chronicled several errors, missteps and failures by the reporter, her editors and the Rolling Stone newsroom, which could have been avoided had they followed certain “reporting pathways”, it said. |
| “The problem was methodology, compounded by an environment where several journalists with decades of collective experience failed to surface and debate problems about their reporting or to heed the questions they did receive from a fact-checking colleague,” the report found. | “The problem was methodology, compounded by an environment where several journalists with decades of collective experience failed to surface and debate problems about their reporting or to heed the questions they did receive from a fact-checking colleague,” the report found. |
| Rolling Stone cooperated with the report, led by Steve Coll, dean of the Columbia school, Sheila Coronel, the dean of academic affairs, and Derek Kravitz, a postgraduate research scholar at the school. The magazine provided unfettered access during the investigation, including a 405-page record of Erdely’s interviews and research notes as well as access to original audio recordings, the report said. | Rolling Stone cooperated with the report, led by Steve Coll, dean of the Columbia school, Sheila Coronel, the dean of academic affairs, and Derek Kravitz, a postgraduate research scholar at the school. The magazine provided unfettered access during the investigation, including a 405-page record of Erdely’s interviews and research notes as well as access to original audio recordings, the report said. |
| On Sunday, on the magazine’s website, Rolling Stone managing editor Will Dana posted a statement acknowledging the report’s findings. | On Sunday, on the magazine’s website, Rolling Stone managing editor Will Dana posted a statement acknowledging the report’s findings. |
| “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,” he said. | “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,” he said. |
| “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.” | “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.” |
| Dana had already apologized once. Weeks after the story was published, as questions mounted, he said “there now appear to be discrepancies in Jackie’s account”. | Dana had already apologized once. Weeks after the story was published, as questions mounted, he said “there now appear to be discrepancies in Jackie’s account”. |
| Another key error identified by the Columbia report was that Erdely had never spoken with the alleged perpetrators of the rape, including the man Jackie said brought her to the fraternity event in September 2012, named in the story as “Drew”. Though Jackie did not assist Erdely find “Drew” – she reportedly refused to share his last name – the report noted that Jackie made no demand that Rolling Stone not try to identify this man independently. | Another key error identified by the Columbia report was that Erdely had never spoken with the alleged perpetrators of the rape, including the man Jackie said brought her to the fraternity event in September 2012, named in the story as “Drew”. Though Jackie did not assist Erdely find “Drew” – she reportedly refused to share his last name – the report noted that Jackie made no demand that Rolling Stone not try to identify this man independently. |
| The report said the article did not clearly express to readers that the reporter and editors did not know the man’s true name, nor had they spoken to him or been able to verify his existence. | The report said the article did not clearly express to readers that the reporter and editors did not know the man’s true name, nor had they spoken to him or been able to verify his existence. |
| Related: Police suspend investigation of alleged gang rape at University of Virginia | Related: Police suspend investigation of alleged gang rape at University of Virginia |
| Charlottesville police said last month that they had suspended their investigation after finding “no substantive basis” to support the magazine’s report that a rape had occurred at the fraternity house on that night, or at any fraternity on the UVA campus. Jackie did not cooperate with investigators and refused to be interviewed for the Columbia report. | Charlottesville police said last month that they had suspended their investigation after finding “no substantive basis” to support the magazine’s report that a rape had occurred at the fraternity house on that night, or at any fraternity on the UVA campus. Jackie did not cooperate with investigators and refused to be interviewed for the Columbia report. |
| Before Jackie’s story began to crumble, the immediate reaction to the story around the US was one of shock and outrage. | Before Jackie’s story began to crumble, the immediate reaction to the story around the US was one of shock and outrage. |
| UVA responded by temporarily suspending all fraternities on campus and requesting Charlottesville police open a criminal investigation. The university board convened a meeting on how to address rape on campus, during which Jackie’s story brought some members to tears. Students protested in front of the fraternity house, as students at other campuses gathered to show solidarity. | UVA responded by temporarily suspending all fraternities on campus and requesting Charlottesville police open a criminal investigation. The university board convened a meeting on how to address rape on campus, during which Jackie’s story brought some members to tears. Students protested in front of the fraternity house, as students at other campuses gathered to show solidarity. |
| But then cracks began to appear. The Phi Kappa Psi fraternity said the house did not host an event on the night of the alleged rape and that descriptions in the Rolling Stone article did not match any of its membership. Some of the alleged victim’s friends, including advocates for victims of sexual assault, also expressed doubts about details in her story, the Washington Post reported. | But then cracks began to appear. The Phi Kappa Psi fraternity said the house did not host an event on the night of the alleged rape and that descriptions in the Rolling Stone article did not match any of its membership. Some of the alleged victim’s friends, including advocates for victims of sexual assault, also expressed doubts about details in her story, the Washington Post reported. |
| Police said they “exhausted all investigative leads”, were unable to track down the man Jackie alleged was her date and believed Phi Kappa Psi did not host an event that night. | Police said they “exhausted all investigative leads”, were unable to track down the man Jackie alleged was her date and believed Phi Kappa Psi did not host an event that night. |
| In a statement released on Sunday night, Erdely said reading the Columbia report had been a “brutal and humbling experience”. | In a statement released on Sunday night, Erdely said reading the Columbia report had been a “brutal and humbling experience”. |
| “I want to offer my deepest apologies: to Rolling Stone’s readers, to my Rolling Stone editors and colleagues, to the UVA community, and to any victims of sexual assault who may feel fearful as a result of my article,” she said. | “I want to offer my deepest apologies: to Rolling Stone’s readers, to my Rolling Stone editors and colleagues, to the UVA community, and to any victims of sexual assault who may feel fearful as a result of my article,” she said. |
| “Reporting on rape has unique challenges, but the journalist still has the responsibility to get it right. I hope that my mistakes in reporting this story do not silence the voices of victims that need to be heard.” | “Reporting on rape has unique challenges, but the journalist still has the responsibility to get it right. I hope that my mistakes in reporting this story do not silence the voices of victims that need to be heard.” |
| According to the Columbia report, Erdely, who spent six months working on the piece, first spoke to Jackie in July 2014, after being connected by a rape survivor working on sexual assault cases. The reporter said Jackie immediately launched into a horrifying account of the alleged gang rape. | According to the Columbia report, Erdely, who spent six months working on the piece, first spoke to Jackie in July 2014, after being connected by a rape survivor working on sexual assault cases. The reporter said Jackie immediately launched into a horrifying account of the alleged gang rape. |
| Jackie told her that in September 2012, when she was a freshman, she was invited to a fraternity event by a junior who worked with her as a lifeguard at the university’s aquatic center, according to the reporter’s notes. Jackie told Erdely that her date led her upstairs to a darkened bedroom and shut the door. That was when the gang rape was alleged to have occurred. | Jackie told her that in September 2012, when she was a freshman, she was invited to a fraternity event by a junior who worked with her as a lifeguard at the university’s aquatic center, according to the reporter’s notes. Jackie told Erdely that her date led her upstairs to a darkened bedroom and shut the door. That was when the gang rape was alleged to have occurred. |
| The reporter hung up the phone “sickened and shaken”, according to the Columbia report. | The reporter hung up the phone “sickened and shaken”, according to the Columbia report. |
| Erdely said she had misgivings about Jackie’s account and found some of the details a “bit incredulous”, including her recollection of a broken glass from a smashed table and assault with a beer bottle. | Erdely said she had misgivings about Jackie’s account and found some of the details a “bit incredulous”, including her recollection of a broken glass from a smashed table and assault with a beer bottle. |
| After an interview with the UVA president, Erdely said she concluded the university had not done enough to support Jackie. | After an interview with the UVA president, Erdely said she concluded the university had not done enough to support Jackie. |
| “I think that instead of being skeptical of Jackie,” Erdely said in the report, “I became skeptical of UVA … What are they hiding and why are they acting this way?” | “I think that instead of being skeptical of Jackie,” Erdely said in the report, “I became skeptical of UVA … What are they hiding and why are they acting this way?” |
| The Columbia report concluded that the article’s collapse was not the result of one person, but rather a systemic failure at every turn. | The Columbia report concluded that the article’s collapse was not the result of one person, but rather a systemic failure at every turn. |
| Jann S Wenner, the publisher of Rolling Stone, said that the public airing of the magazine’s reporting and editorial errors was punishment enough for everyone involved, and said no one would lose their job over the article, according to the New York Times. | Jann S Wenner, the publisher of Rolling Stone, said that the public airing of the magazine’s reporting and editorial errors was punishment enough for everyone involved, and said no one would lose their job over the article, according to the New York Times. |
| Despite the article’s failures, Rolling Stone’s senior editors stood by their newsroom’s existing editorial guidelines. | Despite the article’s failures, Rolling Stone’s senior editors stood by their newsroom’s existing editorial guidelines. |
| “It’s not like I think we need to overhaul our process, and I don’t think we need to necessarily institute a lot of new ways of doing things,” Dana, the managing editor, was quoted as saying in the Columbia report. | “It’s not like I think we need to overhaul our process, and I don’t think we need to necessarily institute a lot of new ways of doing things,” Dana, the managing editor, was quoted as saying in the Columbia report. |
| “We just have to do what we’ve always done and just make sure we don’t make this mistake again.” | “We just have to do what we’ve always done and just make sure we don’t make this mistake again.” |