Rolling Stone lawyers did not speak to Columbia J-School investigators

TheDailyBeast on the Columbia School of Journalism report on the Rolling Stone UVA rape story:

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Remaining a mystery in the J-School study—whose authors enjoyed unfettered access to Rolling Stone’s editors, fact checkers, and reporter along with article drafts, notes, and audio recordings of interviews—is how, why, and whether Rolling Stone’s in-house and outside lawyers approved Erdely’s rape story for publication.

The attorneys, whose job is to limit the magazine’s legal exposure by ensuring that stories are solidly reported and factually supported, refused to talk to Coll et al., arguing attorney-client privilege. Editorial staffers likewise refused to discuss the legal advice they were given. The magazine now possibly faces a defamation lawsuit from Phi Kappa Psi, which has announced that it’s exploring its legal options.

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