Jimmy's World case study

If this story weren't completely made up, it would be considered an extreme example of a bogus trend story. Not only would this case be way out of the norm, getting statistics on drug abusing children--which is what you would need to even begin to correlate Jimmy's case with a growing trend--would be nearly impossible. Even if she were to just write a depressing feature about a child heroin addict, the looming need to take a social commentary to the next level by elevating it to trend status would have accounted for the interviews with social workers and DEA agents, fishing for that one quote that would hint at the idea it could be a growing "epidemic."

Not only do copy editors have to be on the lookout for bogus trends, but they also need to watch out for, well--bogus. The signs that this story was fabricated should have never bypassed the copy desk. It shouldn't have even gotten there. Her managing editor, who should have had some sort of involvement in the development of the story, especially given its controversial nature, should have put the brakes on this way before it got to print. The copy should have been analyzed, not just for facts but for the potential shock factor of such a disturbing image. This is no snake in the toilet feature. This story is a big deal, and it should have been given more attention before ever getting to the copy desk.

But since it did wind up in the copy editor's hands, that places him or her in the key position. The role of copy editors is more than grammar and adding up the numbers. Especially in an era of increasing competition to get the good story first, reporters will be more inclined to fake it, and the Internet makes it even easier. Janet Cooke at least based her work of fiction on what she personally heard from real people, but she could have easily done the same from information she stumbled upon on the Internet.