Rolling Stone removes UVA gang rape story after independent review brings incident into doubt
Rolling Stone has issued an apology and unpublished a story addressing an alleged gang rape at the University of Virginia (UVA) in 2012 after an independent review found that the story “failed to follow “basic, even routine journalistic practice”.
Managing Editor Will Dana published an apology to “all of those who were damaged by our story and the ensuing fallout" after it emerged that the 9,000 word article was written on the testimony of a single source.
Following the release of the article last November, the Washington Post uncovered evidence that the horrifying account of the gang rape, given by a woman who chose to be identified as ‘Jackie’, could not have happened the way it was described.
Dana said: “We would like to apologize to our readers and to all of those who were damaged by our story and the ensuing fallout, including members of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and UVA administrators and students.
"Sexual assault is a serious problem on college campuses, and it is important that rape victims feel comfortable stepping forward.”
Concluding: "It saddens us to think that their willingness to do so might be diminished by our failings."
A report from the Columbia School of Journalism said "the failure encompassed reporting, editing, editorial supervision and fact-checking".
Writer Sabrina Rubin Erderly added: "I hope that my mistakes in reporting this story do not silence the voices of victims that need to be heard.”
She stated that the source had extra credibility because she was endorsed to the publication by a university official.