Rolling Stone retracts UVA rape story, publishes Columbia report

Rolling Stone magazine has completely retracted its controversial story about a gang rape on the University of Virginia campus after the Columbia School of Journalism released its report on the magazine’s editorial practices.

The report, written by Columbia School of Journalism dean Steve Coll; dean of academic affairs Sheila Coronel; and postgraduate research scholar Derek Kravitz, found that Rolling Stone failed to follow basic journalistic practices during the writing and publishing of the piece.

While calling this failure “avoidable,” Coll determined that, “The failure encompassed reporting, editing, editorial supervision and fact-checking. The magazine set aside or rationalized as unnecessary essential practices of reporting that, if pursued, would likely have led the magazine's editors to reconsider publishing Jackie's narrative so prominently, if at all.”

In November, Rolling Stone published Sabrina Rubin Erdely’s story “A Rape On Campus,” which included interviews with a student named “Jackie.” The student claimed she was gang raped at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house in fall 2012. At the time the story was published, it began a national conversation about rape on college campuses and how they often went unreported.

However, the story was nearly entirely based on Jackie’s recollections. Notably, it did not include interviews with the men Jackie alleged raped her. The Washington Post began its own reporting on the case and found holes in Jackie’s story.

In December, Rolling Stone apologized, claiming that their trust in Jackie was “misplaced.” It later clarified the apology and called in Coll to lead an investigation.

In March, it was reported that the magazine was ready to issue its report, just as police in Charlottesville, Virginia announced that they found no evidence to support Jackie’s claims in the story.

Rolling Stone has now published the full report at the link where Erdely’s story once was. An abridged version of the report is set to appear in the new issue of the magazine, which is out on Wednesday.

“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,” managing editor Will Dana wrote in a preface to the report. “Sexual assault is a serious problem on college campuses, and it is important that rape victims feel comfortable stepping forward. It saddens us to think that their willingness to do so might be diminished by our failings.”

Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner told The New York Times that both Dana and Erdely will keep their jobs at the magazine, despite the report.

UVA President Teresa A. Sullivan also issued a statement, noting that Rolling Stone’s original story “portrayed University staff members as manipulative and callous toward victims of sexual assault. Such false depictions reinforce the reluctance sexual assault victims already feel about reporting their experience, lest they be doubted or ignored.”

As for the fraternity at the center of the story, Stephen Scipione, the chapter president of Phi Kappa Psi, spoke with Coll. “It's completely tarnished our reputation,” Scipione told Coll. “It's completely destroyed a semester of our lives, specifically mine. It's put us in the worst position possible in our community here, in front of our peers and in the classroom.”

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