An independent review of Rolling Stone's disputed article about an alleged gang rape at the University of Virginia will be published in the magazine after it is released next month.
A spokesperson for the Columbia School of Journalism, which is investigating how Rolling Stone reported the rape accusation, said Monday its review would be released April. 8. Columbia made the announcement shortly after police in Charlottesville, Virginia, detailed their own findings from an investigation into the alleged rape.
At a Monday press conference, Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo said the police found no "substantive basis" to support the premise of the article that appeared in Rolling Stone last fall. Longo cautioned that the findings do not necessarily mean that "something terrible didn't happen" to the woman at the center of the story.
A police official said the author of the Rolling Stone story, Sabrina Rubin Erdely, was "cooperative" and "provided us with some information."
The article, "A Rape on Campus," horrified readers when it was published last November. It described how a University of Virginia freshman named Jackie was allegedly sexually assaulted by seven attackers during a party at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house, and how the university failed to adequately respond.
Following Monday's press conference with Charlottesville police, Phi Kappa Psi issued a statement blasting Rolling Stone for "recklessly and prejudicially" thrusting the fraternity "into the center of a national debate on the topic of sexual assault on college campuses." The fraternity also hinted at a possible lawsuit aimed at the magazine.
"Phi Kappa Psi is now exploring its legal options to address the extensive damage caused by Rolling Stone -- damage both to the chapter and its members and to the very cause upon which the magazine was focused," the statement said.
Rolling Stone's article sparked conversation about sexual violence on college campuses, but the details of the story soon came under withering scrutiny.
As contradictions and discrepancies emerged, Rolling Stone apologized and said it would investigate what went wrong. On December 22, it enlisted Columbia University's graduate journalism school to conduct an independent review.
At the time, Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner said Columbia would have free rein to review the magazine's "editorial processes." The actions of the writer, the editors; and the fact-checkers have all been questioned by critics.
Journalism school dean Steve Coll has been leading the review.
Wenner told CNNMoney that the magazine would publish Columbia's review. When asked whether he will be making any editorial changes at the magazine as a result of Columbia's review, Wenner said, "Haven't read it so I have no comments to make."
