Rolling Stones reporting

The Rolling Stone journalists didn't check wether or not the victim was telling her story correctly. They took her word for it and didn't ask anyone else about how they remembered that night.

The lesson is don't just take one persons word about a story but instead make sure they are correct by asking others.

Journalists should write only what they know is true, and not keep it a secret if they don't know something.

I don't know what their normal practices are but i hope that this was just journalists not doing what they were supposed to do. If the journalists just messed up then they don't have to change the policy, just enforce it.