Last December Rolling Stone Magazine released a vivid and disturbing article that upset many readers. Titled “A Rape on Campus”, the article told the story of Jackie, a girl who had been repeatedly and brutally raped at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house at the University of Virginia.
While the unfortunate reports of sexual assault on college campuses are not all that uncommon lately, this particular article had an impact on readers. Rolling Stone reporter Sabrina Erdely focused on Jackie’s story, and readers strongly felt her emotional trauma. No details of Jackie’s brutal ordeal were spared- part of the article reads, “When yet another hand clamped over her mouth, Jackie bit it, and the hand became a fist that punched her in the face. “Grab its motherf*****g leg,” she heard a voice say. And that’s when Jackie knew she was going to be raped. She remembers every moment of the next three hours of agony, during which, she says, seven men took turns raping her, while two more – her date, Drew, and another man – gave instruction and encouragement” (Rolling Stone, 2014).
This highly upsetting article caused nation-wide outrage and speculation about sexual assault on college campuses. In the aftermath of the report all fraternities on the UVA campus were suspended, the Phi Kappa Psi house was vandalized and protests occurred on campus – all damaging the reputation of the school.
Now, five months since this article was published, the magazine has retracted it. Phi Kappa Psi is “now pursuing serious legal action toward Rolling Stone, the author and editor, and even Jackie. After 130 days of living under a cloud of suspicion as a result of reckless reporting by the Rolling Stone”, the fraternity said in a statement.
Once published, the report prompted police investigations which found no evidence that the allegations were true. University and fraternity officials also found discrepancies in the report. Rolling Stone commissioned a report by the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism that concluded that the magazine failed to use “basic, even routine journalistic practice” in its reporting, fact checking, verifying, and bias.
Specifically, the report found mistakes in three major areas; the reporter failed to contact Jackie’s friends who reportedly dismissed her allegations, she did not provide fraternity members with enough information to answer her questions, therefore making them unable to defend themselves and the magazine failed to respond to any skepticism due to the sensitivity and emotional trauma the story held.
Both the magazine and the Erdely have since issued public apologies. Erdely stated, “I want to offer my deepest apologies to Rolling Stone readers, to my Rolling Stone editors and colleagues, to the U.V.A. community, and to any victims of sexual assault who may feel fearful as a result of my article.”
While both the magazine and University have dealt with the consequences of this article, what kind of consequences will it have on campuses nation-wide? Many speculate that rape victims will be less likely to report sexual assault for fear of being questioned or named publicly. Victims may also be fearful of their reports being discredited or being publicly shamed for “fabricating” stories.
“Sexual assault is a serious problem on college campuses, and it is important that rape victims feel comfortable stepping forward,” is found in A Note From the Editor at the beginning of the Columbia report, “It saddens us to think that their willingness to do so might be diminished by our failings.”