Janet Cooke

Janet Cooke (born July 23, 1954) is a former American journalist who became infamous when she won a Pulitzer Prize for a fabricated story that she wrote for "The Washington Post".

Early career

In 1980, Cooke joined the "Weeklies" section staff of the "Washington Post" under editor Vivian Aplin-Brownlee. To secure this post, Cooke claimed she had a degree from Vassar College, studied at the Sorbonne University, and was the recipient of an award at "the Toledo Blade" newspaper.

"Jimmy's World"

In an article entitled "Jimmy's World," [cite journal| url=http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/markport/lit/litjour/spg2002/cooke.htm| title=Jimmy'S World| first=Janet| last=Cooke| journal=Washington Post| month=September 28| year=1980| pages=A1] which appeared in the "Post" on September 29 1980, Cooke wrote a gripping profile of the life of an 8-year-old heroin addict. She described the "needle marks freckling the baby-smooth skin of his thin, brown arms." The story engendered much sympathy among readers, including Marion Barry, then mayor of Washington, D.C. He and other city officials organized an all-out police search for the boy, which was unsuccessful and led to claims that the story was fraudulent. Barry claimed that Jimmy was known to the city and receiving treatment. [cite book| first=Benjamin C.| last=Bradlee| title=A Good Life: Newspapering and Other Adventures| location=New York | publisher=Touchstone| year=1996]

Fallout

Despite growing signs of problems, the "Post" defended the veracity of the story and Assistant Managing Editor Bob Woodward submitted the story for the Pulitzer Prize. Cooke was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing on April 13, 1981.

When the editors of the "Toledo Blade", where Cooke had previously worked, read her biographical notes, they noticed a number of discrepancies. Further investigation revealed that Cooke's credentials were false. Pressured by the editors of the "Post," Cooke confessed her guilt.

Two days after the prize had been awarded, "Post" publisher Donald Graham held a press conference and admitted that the story was fraudulent. The editorial in the next day's paper offered a public apology. Assistant Managing Editor Bob Woodward said at the time: "I believed it, we published it. Official questions had been raised, but we stood by the story and her. Internal questions had been raised, but none about her other work. The reports were about the story not sounding right, being based on anonymous sources, and primarily about purported lies [about] her personal life -- [told by three reporters] , two she had dated and one who felt in close competition with her. I think that the decision to nominate the story for a Pulitzer is of minimal consequence. I also think that it won is of little consequence. It is a brilliant story -- fake and fraud that it is. It would be absurd for me or any other editor to review the authenticity or accuracy of stories that are nominated for prizes." [cite journal| url=http://academics.smcvt.edu/dmindich/Jimmy's%20World.htm| title=Post Reporter's Pulitzer Prize Is Withdrawn; Pulitzer Board Withdraws Post Reporter's Prize| journal=Washington Post| month=April 16| year=1981| first=David A.| last=Maraniss]

Cooke resigned and returned the Prize. She appeared on the "Phil Donahue" show in January 1982, and said that the high-pressure environment of the "Post" had corrupted her judgment. She said that her sources had hinted to her about the existence of a boy such as Jimmy, but unable to find him, she eventually created a story about him in order to satisfy her editors.

Post-journalism

Cooke was the subject of an interview by Mike Sager, appearing in "GQ Magazine" in June 1996. Sager's article was republished in the anthology "Scary Monsters and Super Freaks."

The movie rights to her story were reportedly purchased for $1.6 million by Columbia TriStar Pictures, to be divided between Cooke (55 percent), Sager and their agents. The film has not yet been produced.

References

Sources

* "New Yorker", September 18. 1995
* "A Good Life" by Ben Bradlee
* [http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/day/04_17_2001.html Museum of Hoaxes - "Janet Cooke and Jimmy's World"]
* [http://archive.southcoasttoday.com/daily/06-96/06-05-96/c04li109.htm "Southcoast Today", June 5, 1996]

Additional Reading

* Sager, Mike. "Scary Monsters and Super Freaks: Stories of Sex, Drugs, Rock 'N' Roll and Murder." Thunder's Mouth Press, 2004. ISBN 1-56025-563-3.