Adam Penenberg
Adam Penenberg | |
---|---|
Born | July 27, 1962 |
Occupation | Journalist |
Adam L. Penenberg (born July 27, 1962) is a U.S. investigative journalist, editor, and educator. He is currently the editor of technology news site PandoDaily[1] and has previously written for Forbes, Fast Company, The New York Times, Wired News, and Playboy. Peneberg is also an associate professor of journalism at New York University.[2] While with Forbes, Peneberg gained national attention in 1998 for helping reveal that The New Republic reporter Stephen Glass had been fabricating his stories.
Education
Penenberg received his B.A. in Economics from Reed College.[2]
Career
Stephen Glass scandal
In the summer of 1998, Penenberg, then a reporter with Forbes magazine's online arm, Forbes Digital Tool, came upon a story in The New Republic about a Silicon Valley firm which was hacked by a teenager, then hired the hacker as a security consultant. Amazed that The New Republic had somehow managed to scoop Forbes, Penenberg tried to verify it. Penenberg could not find any evidence that the company, Jukt Micronics, even existed. He also could not verify any of the events that Glass claimed resulted from the hacker's hiring, such as a radio spot from concerned Nevada state officials or several joint state efforts to combat hacking.[3] After an internal investigation, The New Republic determined that Glass had fabricated the story and subsequently fired him.
Other activities
As of 2005[update], Penenberg is an assistant professor of journalism at New York University. He is also a freelance writer for Fast Company, The New York Times, Forbes, Wired News, and Playboy. His non-fiction book Tragic Indifference: One Man's Battle With the Auto Industry Over the Dangers of SUVs, which deals with the biggest product liability case in history, the Ford and Firestone controversy, was published in 2003 and is currently being made into a movie.
In 2009, Penenberg authored the book Viral Loop: From Facebook to Twitter, How Today's Smartest Businesses Grow Themselves. Viral Loop explains how companies such as Netscape, eBay, PayPal, Skype, Hotmail, Facebook, and Twitter implemented viral loops to grow exponentially and achieve billion-dollar valuations in only a short amount of time. The book is divided into three sections including viral businesses, marketing, and networks.[4]
In popular culture
Penenberg was portrayed by Steve Zahn in the movie Shattered Glass.
References
- ^ "NFW: Adam Penenberg Joins PandoDaily as Editor". 21 August 2012.
- ^ a b "Adam L. Penenberg - NYU Journalism".
- ^ Penenberg, Adam L. Lies, damn lies, and fiction. Forbes, May 11, 1998
- ^ Penenberg, A., Viral Loop: From Facebook to Twitter, How Today's Smartest Businesses Grow Themselves, 2009, Hyperion Press "Viral Loop: From Facebook to Twitter, How Today's Smartest Businesses Grow Themselves"
External links
- Adam Penenberg's Official Website
- Adam Penenberg's famous Forbes' online article, Lies, damn lies and fiction which reveals Stephen Glass' fabrication
- Penenberg's faculty page