UVA Fraternity Says It Will Sue ‘Rolling Stone’
The University of Virginia chapter of Phi Kappa Psi said Monday that it plans to sue Rolling Stone for what it deems reckless reporting that tarnished the fraternity’s reputation. The announcement comes one day after the magazine issued a retraction of the story about a brutal gang rape allegedly committed by some fraternity members.
Reuters reports the UVA chapter of Phi Kappa Psi issued a statement saying it will pursue all legal action available against the publication.
“Rolling Stone Magazine admits its staff engaged in reckless behavior while covering this story, yet the magazine refuses to take any action against those involved in reporting the story or address needed changes to its editorial process.”
According to MSNBC, in its statement, the fraternity also reveals the journalist who wrote the discredited article has not yet apologized to members of the UVA fraternity, and says the magazine needs to change its journalistic policies or else the publication will face the same controversy again.
“The reporter in question not only failed to apologize to members of Phi Kappa Psi, but doesn’t even acknowledge the three witnesses she quoted in the article but never interviewed. This is a clear and sad indication that the magazine is not serious about its journalistic obligations leaving the door open for equally irresponsible reporting in the future.”
The UVA fraternity’s plans to seek legal action comes only one day after Rolling Stone issued an official retraction of the controversial article, “A Rape on Campus,” in conjunction with a public statement from the journalist, Sabrina Rubin Erdely.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the magazine issued the retraction only after a Columbia School of Journalism report found that the magazine, nor its editors, met basic journalistic expectations, such as fact checking details and adequately attempting to contact key people written about in the article. The School of Journalism issued the report after Rolling Stone asked for an independent review.
Jann S. Wenner, publisher of Rolling Stone, in an interview with The New York Times, appeared to shift the blame for the story on “Jackie,” the alleged victim written about in the now discredited article, labeling her “a really expert fabulist storyteller” who managed to manipulate Rolling Stone’s journalism process. According to The Times, when asked to clarify, Wenner said he was not blaming Jackie, “but obviously there is something here that is untruthful, and something sits at her doorstep.”
[Image by Jay Paul/Getty Images]
