The truth about glass

Reid 2022-01-07 15:54:50

Stephen Glass started working as a reporter in The New Republic in 1995. Stephen, who was only in his early twenties at the time, was considered a star reporter for the magazine. However, as an article about hackers was questioned, Stephen was revealed to be untrue. Of his 41 reports, 27 were partial or completely fictitious.

I like this movie because it does not emphasize the "correctness" and "justice" of news too much. Of course we have certain requirements for news reports. News must be objective, fair and accurate. However, as a movie, too much emphasis on this aspect will only become preaching. The movie focuses more on the element of "human". As the movie says, what readers want to see are stories about "people." Each of us leads an ordinary life, but each of us leads an extraordinary life at the same time. The drama of life is often more than the description in novels and movies. We want to see the stories of ordinary people, because they teach us: It turns out that the life of an ordinary person can also be extraordinary. "People" stories are often the most fascinating stories. Before Stephen's actions were exposed, no one had thought that the original news review system could be so unbearable.



Stephen, like many young people, was wrong. The first reaction was not regret, but an attempt to turn the wrong into right. People are always weak, facing mistakes, often not to remedy, but to cover up. However, why should this be? Why not admit your own fault? Wrong, is there no way back? Although Stephen lost his job as a reporter at the end of the film, he wrote a successful novel. Wrong, it is not impossible to look back. Life is always made up of too many mistakes. Of course, we cannot use this as an excuse to let ourselves make mistakes. But when the mistake is made, why should we go wrong? God has given us too many paths to choose from, and not every path is suitable for us. If this is not the way to go, why not try another path that is more suitable for you?

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Extended Reading

Shattered Glass quotes

  • Kambiz Foroohar: [Adam walks in on Kambiz at a urinal] Adam, can you give a man a minute?

    Adam Penenberg: Oh, yeah. I'm sorry. Uh, it's just that... this New Republic piece is a fucking sieve.

    [walking with Kambiz]

    Adam Penenberg: I started with a check on Jukt Micronics, which is supposed to be this "major software company" in California. I went through every search engine on the web, no matches found. So I called 411, in every area code in the state, there's no listing anywhere for a company called "Jukt Micronics." I tried the California Tax Franchise Board, there's no record of taxes ever having been paid by a company called "Jukt Micronics." Tried the State Comptroller's Office, no license has ever been applied for by a company using that name. Then I called all the hackers I know, asking if any had heard of a "National Assembly of Hackers" or of a hacker by the name of "Big, Bad, Bionic Boy": nothing. I even tried Ian Restil himself. There's no listing for the kid in D.C., Virginia, Maryland. There's no record of him ever having attended a public school before. More?

    Kambiz Foroohar: Please.

    Adam Penenberg: Uh, this guy Joe Hiert was described in the Glass piece as being this former basketball agent, yet no one by that name has ever been registered with the NBA and none of my hackers knew of him. I even checked the names of every government...

    [looks at Andy]

    Andy Fox: I was just getting some coffee.

    Adam Penenberg: I even checked the names of every government employee quoted in the piece against a book listing the names of every government employee in the entire United States. None of the Glass sources were listed.

  • Stephen Glass: [in front of the magazine display case] Chuck, will you please take me to the airport?

    Chuck Lane: Jesus.

    Stephen Glass: Please, OK? You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to. It's fine. But I can't be by myself right now. OK? I'm, uh, I'm afraid of what I'm gonna do. You know? I... I can't get there by myself.

    Chuck Lane: I'm not going anywhere with you. Now, if you feel like you're a danger to yourself, you can sit down for a few minutes until you feel calm enough to go, but I am not going anywhere with you.

    Stephen Glass: But... I'm afraid that I'm gonna do something, OK? Did you hear what I said?

    Chuck Lane: Yeah. It's a hell of a story.

    Stephen Glass: Chuck, please.

    Chuck Lane: Stop pitching, Steve. It's over.