The Power of the Editor

What I enjoyed most about Shattered Glass was the relationship and story between the staff and the two editors, Michael and Chuck. It appeared on the surface that Michael was the editor of your dreams. As Stephen Glass said it, "he always had your back," which made him a better editor than Chuck. I feel like Chuck was actually the better editor, he had the writers best interests at heart, as much as you can for an editor who found out that 27 out of 41 of a writers stories were fabricated, and he also knew what was best for the paper. I feel like Michael let Stephens charm get the best of him, as did alot of other members of the staff. He failed to do thorough fact checks, relied to much on the trust of the writers, and was ultimately deceived. Although Chuck did not come across as valiant a defender as Michael, he fulfilled his role as editor walking that fine line between the writers and management. If I were put in the same situation as Chuck, being lied to and deceived, I would make the same decision as he did. He wagered the situation with Stephen and the reputation of The New Republic and made a well rounded decision. It is not my belief that an editor is someone who will defend your name and story given all circumstance. I believe that a good editor is one who questions to get the facts straight so when controversy comes he can defend your story and best interest.