Ugh. The only thing as bad as rape is making a false accusation of rape. Unforgivable.

We do not know which content was fabricated, embellished or otherwise mishandled, but it was of sufficient magnitude to compromise any legitimate claims. I return to the matter of the responsible editors: Is it not their corporate practice to consult with in-house counsel prior to publication of a potentially explosive piece? Did they ignore advice of counsel? At the end of the day, they make the call with regard to the reporter and her article. For clarity, I am not suggesting she go scott free. Quite the contrary, she has accountability and, in my opinion, is most likely unhireable going forward. She was profiled in a different Washington Post article. (I don't know how to link).

Wow! This is shocking. And also disturbing. In addition to the defamation, it is also a tremendous set-back for women who have been raped to come forward with their own stories. I wonder what law suits will be forthcoming. Also what the Title IX investigations will reveal.

If this happened to my chapter, I'd be suing the hell out of Rolling Stone, the reporter, the editor and anyone else who had a hand in this. Who knew.. Rolling Stone will likely be funding some major renovations at the Phi Kappa Psi house.

Where do these men go to get their reputations back? What does this Fraternity do to get its reputation back? The "genie" is out of the bottle.

I'm really pissed off, for a variety of reasons.

What I want to know is, there was discussion in many forums and articles from people saying "they knew who the perps were"... how would they know if didn't actually exist. The WaPo article describes a man who Jackie claimed was her date, but he was never actually a member of Phi Kappa Psi, they called him and the fraternity said that he was never a member. If that is true, that is such a WTF moment.

Did the students on campus start to smell a rat too? Pledge classes aren't that big, and I would probably have known if a fellow pledge worked at the pool at the rec center. There were articles in wake up raising questions, but were other students raising these types of specific questions?

I don't think anyone could fault a lawsuit against RS with punitive damages. Money talks and is the language many understand. But I still go back to what I have been saying all along. These men and ALL fraternity men need to take a very affirmative stand against rape and coercive sex on campus. Enthusiastically supporting the Bystander program IMO would be a good place to start. Even before the RS article, fraternities there and elsewhere have had those kinds of reputations in the eyes of many, and not just in the victim advocacy groups.

Do the fraternities at UVA get coverage in the campus newspaper of their philanthropy and community service events? If not, this needs to be published. And frequently.

A good article in Slate on proper reporting protocol and an OpEd in today's The Washington Post.

While I concur with your message on perceptions, 1964, I fear the takeaway that the public will remember is agenda-driven journalism. I don't know if zeal overcame good judgment, but the reporter set her cause back materially. Again, good editors reign in reporters who have lost perspective. Her defense on how she approached her article is to me deplorable.

Yes, that will be the take-away for some but not all. I am watching our local news now.

I am now terribly sorry for having posted about the Rolling Stone story.
As others have mentioned, though, I hope the doubts about "Jackie's" story will not keep women who have been sexually assaulted from reporting it.

Very disappointed in Rolling Stone.

I am so incredibly angry that this was all false. This story made me question my support of Greek life, even though I have witnessed with my own eyes the good that can come from it. Even more importantly, I am incensed at the carelessness that has now made it even more challenging for rape victims to come forward. Eff them for this sheer irresponsibility, utter carelessness, and profound lack of professionalism.

Sabrina Rubin Erdely, woman behind Rolling Stone’s explosive U-Va. alleged rape story http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifest...984_story.html

Found above link in this article:

Rolling Stone’s disastrous U-Va. story: A case of real media bias http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...al-media-bias/

We don't know that it is all false, just that there were sufficient substantive inaccuracies to cause even valid elements to be called into question. A little prudence and checks and balances could have avoided this particular result, and their apparent absence or failure at RS is profoundly disappointing. Exlurker, the dialogue and concerns exist because of the story and its journalistic management, not because you posted it. Discussions occurred on a wide range of forums. I hope you are not feeling you were wrong.