An Outline of We Forgot Janet Cookes Jimmy by Allan R.

Andrews

Title: We Forgot Janet Cookes Jimmy Thesis Statement: Journalism took a fateful turn, a blind eye, as Janet Cookes Jimmy created a divisive stir in the media industry, thus shifting the focus from the more important and serious problems like heroin addiction among the youth to the lies and status of Janet Cooke.

I.

Credibility of Janet Cooke as a journalist A. Her works and her credentials submitted to The Post 1. Her educational background, travelled places, and languages spoken 2. Her published works (articles, stories)

B.

Upon winning the Pulitzer Prize

1. Cooke didnt want to win for her credentials were only checked after she had won the said award 2. Criticized by her colleagues, former employees and newshounds

II.

How the issue affected Journalism industry A. The medias reaction towards the fallacy of Janet Cooke degraded Journalisms image and credibility

1. No questions were raised, despite Jimmys misleading notion, addictive obscurity might exist among the hellholes of America 2. Focused more on the less important story

B. Direction of Journalism

1. The internal story mislead the newspaper, the readers and the nation from concentrating on heroin in the streets 2. No proper attention or help was given to the said parties

III. Effects of the internal story to both Cooke and the rest of the people involved A. How her colleagues viewed Cooke 1. Bradlee, the author of the said autobiography, described Cooke as, a cross that journalism, especially The Washington Post, and especially Benjamin C. Bradlee will bear forever. 2. Exiled for 15 years from professional and public life B. Disappointments of people who worked with Cooke 1. Her former employer, Bradlee, felt guilty for firing and hiring her 2. Cooke was annoyingly defensive of her fabrications.

IV.

Outcomes A. Collaboration with Mike Sagar 1. A 12,000 word biographical magazine article in the June issue of GQ. 2. Signed a contract with TriStar Pictures to make a film of her story

B. Unresolved problems at the end of the day 1. The true investigation Janet Cooke was supposed to conduct is still singling out the nation 2. Journalism is wasting time in deciding to take or not to take Janet Cooke back instead of solving problems like, Jimmy.