We have a very exciting special guest for the second episode of Are You Mad At Me?: The real-life Adam Penenberg! Penenberg, portrayed by Steve Zahn in Shattered Glass, was working for an early online outlet called Forbes Digital Tool when his editor, Kambiz Foroohar, demanded to know why he'd been scooped by Stephen Glass on a story about teenage hackers.Â
That story, "Hack Heaven," focused on a kid named Ian Restil who had hacked into a "big-time software firm" called Jukt Micronics; instead of prosecuting him, the company hired him to provide digital security. It was part of a nationwide trend in which hackers, often represented by professional agents, were holding companies hostage and extracting huge payments in exchange for protecting them from other hackers.
Of course, the story was completely fabricated—and Penenberg was the one who unraveled the fraud. In our interview, Penenberg tells us what it was like to uncover the story and reflects on what it was like to be a reporter for a digital startup going up against a venerable institution like The New Republic. He also offers his thoughts on why Glass decided to fabricate stories instead of just reporting them, and tells us what it was like talking to Steve Zahn as he was developing his character for the movie. Today, Penenberg is the director of the American Journalism Online Master's program at NYU.
Quotes: "Is it pronounced 'jooked' or 'jucked'?"
"No, it was an 'N.' As in 'Not working.'"
"This guy is toast."
Hosts: Josh Feit and Erica C. Barnett
Edited by: Erica C. Barnett
