1. What is the significance of the audience being told the median age of the reporters working for The New Republic? Is there something being said about the generation? The year is 1998, what “generation” does this movie pertain to, X or Y?
2. How did Stephen Glass make it as far as he did? How did he publish so many fabricated articles and end up working for The New Republic, a prestigious magazine?
3. Who is the most ethical character in the movie? Back up your answer with specific examples from the movie.
4. Why didn’t Stephen Glass just stop lying? And, because of his lying, who all is affected by his lies?
5. How far should an editor go in defending a writer? How tough should an editor be in holding a writer to the highest standards? Was there some point at which either of these editors should have discovered how Glass was manipulating the editorial system?
6. How did Shattered Glass change your perspective on the journalistic profession? What did you learn about the relationship between institutions and the people who sustain them?
7. Can you imagine ways in which the issues portrayed in the film relate to issues of academic integrity in college situations?
8. Do you feel sorry for Stephen Glass? Why or why not?
