Stephen Glass's stories in The New Republic were true
| Stephen Glass's stories in The New Republic were true | |
|---|---|
| FALSE | |
| "Stephen Glass's colorful feature stories for The New Republic and other magazines in the mid-1990s, including "Hack Heaven" about a teenage hacker, were accurate reporting." | |
| Domain | Technology & Media |
| Tactic | Fabrication |
| Era | Historical |
| First seen | 1995 |
| Origin | Articles written by Stephen Glass, an associate editor at The New Republic, between 1995 and 1998, supported by fabricated notes, voicemails and a fake website |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-27 |
| Further reading: books on Technology & Media | |
The claim that Stephen Glass's stories in The New Republic were true unraveled in May 1998. Glass, a young star at the political magazine, had written vivid stories full of memorable characters and quotes. His article "Hack Heaven" described a 15-year-old hacker who had broken into a software company's network and was then hired by it. Reporter Adam Penenberg of Forbes Digital Tool tried to confirm the story and could find no evidence that the company, the hacker or the conference described existed. Glass created a fake website and voicemail to support the story, but editor Charles Lane soon established it was fabricated and fired him. A review found that Glass had fabricated material in 27 of the 41 articles he wrote for the magazine.
What the evidence shows
- Forbes investigation. Penenberg found no record of the company, "Jukt Micronics," and no trace of the hacker or the hacker convention described in the article.
- Cover-up. Glass produced fabricated notes, a business card, a voicemail number and a crude website to support his story.
- Review. The New Republic found that 27 of Glass's 41 articles contained fabricated material, from invented quotes to entire events. Other publications he wrote for, including Harper's and Rolling Stone, also reviewed his work.
- How it worked. Glass exploited the magazine's fact-checking process by creating supporting documents for checkers, who relied on his notes.
- Aftermath. Glass later wrote a novel based on his experience and became a paralegal. In 2014 the California Supreme Court denied his application to practice law, citing his deceit.
Why it persists
The case is a classic example in journalism education, depicted in the 2003 film Shattered Glass. It shows how stories that are too good to be true can slip past editors when they confirm expectations and delight readers.
Lessons for readers
- Stories that seem too perfect deserve extra scrutiny.
- Fact-checking that relies on the reporter's own materials can be gamed.
- Independent verification by outside reporters can expose fabrication.
- Prestige publications can be deceived.
See also
Sources
- Adam L. Penenberg, "Lies, damn lies and fiction," Forbes Digital Tool, May 11, 1998.
- Buzz Bissinger, "Shattered Glass," Vanity Fair, September 1998.
- In re Glass, Supreme Court of California, January 27, 2014.