SHATTERED GLASS: A REVIEW By Aila Patricia Mendoza Truth-telling plays a very huge role in everyones chosen career, particularly

in the field of journalism wherein a lot of people tend to believe on every published work as a fact. It is crucial in a sense that it gives someone a level of credibility in which it is very much looked-upon by many; and in which a single lie or inconsistency in statements could actually lead to a permanent doubted image. Such truth may be presented in a universal or moral manner, depending on the response the writer expects from his/her audience.

The film Shattered Glass, which tackled the scandal involving the then journalist of The New Republic, Stephen Glass regarding his fabrication of supposedly factual editorials for their magazine, definitely reflected the consequences of not practicing truth-telling. He tended to make truth appear universal as its publication on the magazines imply; thus it paved the way for various issues filed against him which definitely placed him under a bad limelight. It also made him construct fabricated facts further as his credibility is questioned by his colleague and spectators. Indeed, the idea of truth-telling comes right after all the damages had been done to his image and to the publications image. It is where the impact of telling lies did hit him hard and caught him more aware.

By being caught off guard due to the sudden speculations with regards to his released editorials; Glass still managed to present suspicious connections with his characters in the editorial Hack Heaven. Although doubted by his then editor Charles Chuck Lane, the challenge of being able to present the contact details of his characters for verification was risked by Glass just to be able to assure everybody else of his editorials credibility. It then made him dig deeper lies which made him in denial of the latter turn out of events wherein coincidence allowed everything to be puzzled out by Chuck Lane. Such inconsistencies did lead him to rationalize in a worse manner further, which would in turn leave him with no other choices offered by Chuck but the choice to leave The New Republic.

Such unethical and indefensible act done by Glass as a journalist is also to be noted in the history of the publication, The New Republic, for it surely experienced a direct impact of the consequences brought about by the scandal of Glass. Surely, the credible, respected, and, looked- upon image of the magazine publication became flawed and somehow doubted for a while since the release of the news with regards to the issue. Credibility-wise, the publication was surely questioned since fabricated editorials did make it through their published magazines as something factual, knowing it must be well screened and verified by their editors. Such acts both taken for granted by Glass and left unnoticed by the editors mustve tainted the reputation of the magazine publication in a manner of forming roster of credible as well as ethical journalists and same is true with the editorials they are

about to release in the latter. Definitely, such impact made the magazine publication more responsible of the contents of their magazine, as well as to make sure its editors screen every article deliberately to be able to find possible repetition of mistakes exemplified in the act of Glass.

Amidst the stain brought about by the actions of Glass, the then editor of The New Republic publication, Charles Chuck Lane, did caught some good limelight as well since he was one of the reasons why such fabrications were exposed and were put to end. Definitely, having earned bachelors degree as well as masters degree in law from some of the most prestigious universities in the world such as Harvard and Yale respectively did guide him in making ethical decisions while working in the field as a foreign correspondent from Newsweek down to his job as a journalist and then as an editor at The New Republic. His being straight-forward as well as his being keen observer did gave him license to make every single detail fit the puzzle in Glasss acts. It was also on being his professional towards work by which he caught Glass off guard. He held his thoughts in order to gather enough evidences to support his accusation, amidst blatant fabrications of evidences made by Glass.

Indeed, the film Shattered Glass exemplified and exhibited the consequences brought about by not following the principles of truth-telling which is usually taken for granted by many. The contributing factor which made people relate well to it is the idea that it did happen to a real person in real life, and people get a feel of what could possibly be the turnout of lying. Perhaps, Glasss story would serve a lesson to everyone who has been touched by it.