The editors of the New Republic, the famously vociferous magazine of Washington opinion, like to think of themselves as a gimlet-eyed bunch. But when it came to reporter Stephen Glass, their vision was blurred. They regarded Glass, an eager and soft-spoken young man of 25, as a rare talent, able to land the kind of juicy fly-on-the-wall stories that make editors light up. "Steve was someone who could get into rooms other reporters couldn't get into, and come away with quotes and anecdotes the others couldn't get," says Glass's mentor, former New Republic editor Michael Kelly.
Glass wasn't just good at...