Times Bomb [Jayson Blair's inside story, from Newsweek]

Newsweek ^ | May 18, 2003 | Seth Minookin and others

[summer]

Times Bomb

Newsweek

.... As the Times meeting was unfolding, Jayson Blair was holed up in an apartment in Manhattan, talking with his lawyer and his literary agent. The week before, friends say, Blair had checked himself out of Silver Hill, a tony inpatient hospital in New Canaan, Conn., where he had been receiving treatment for a history of alcoholism, cocaine abuse and manic depression, NEWSWEEK has learned. ....

...In a conversation with NEWSWEEK, Blair spoke of his feelings since his career went up in flames: "I can't say anything other than the fact that I feel a range of emotions including guilt, shame, sadness, betrayal, freedom and appreciation for those who have stood by me, been tough on me, and have taken the time to understand that there is a deeper story and not to believe everything they read in the newspapers."...

...But Blair's performance, already spotty, seemed to be getting worse. His personal life also seemed to be spinning out of control. His apartment in Brooklyn was littered with broken furniture and rotting food, his landlord said; there was fungus, and mold. When he moved out in the fall of 2002, the place was in such sordid condition his landlord considered taking him to small-claims court to recoup damages. "It was real filth," the landlord told NEWSWEEK. "Imagine using a bathroom for two-and-a-half years and never cleaning it."

....Within months, Blair was circulating drafts of a book proposal on the sniper story in which he discussed his own anger and frustration as an African-American. "[A friend] encouraged me to look for answers about the history of violence in my own family and that of Lee Malvo [the other sniper suspect], suggesting the search would not be in vain, if it at least ended my restless angst," Blair wrote. Later, he told friends that he identified with Malvo....

[summer]

From the last paragraph of the above excerpted article:

Blair has signed up with David Vigliano, a literary agent, and is in talks for book, movie and television deals. Ted Faraone, a PR agent who had worked with Blair on stories at the Times, told NEWSWEEK he called the reporter after reading about his career suicide. "He called me back Wednesday," the day of the Times's town-hall meeting, Faraone said. "He sounded in pretty good spirits, considering everything. And, you know, he needs to do something to keep body and soul together, so I put him in touch with one of my clients, Ian Rae, who did 'A Current Affair.' I'm hoping things work out for him." Then Faraone added another thought. "If one thing can be said about this from a literary standpoint, the American people tend to be very forgiving if you come clean. They'll watch the TV movie and pay $9.50 to see the feature film. It's a strange commentary on celebrity in 21st-century America, but in a way that's kind of how we rehabilitate people after they've fallen."

Howard Kurtz, the host of CNN's "Reliable Sources," was just now on tv talking about this Jayson Blair matter, and Kurtz expressed disgust that now, Jayson Blair will probably be rewarded for his fraud with a mega-money literary contract.

Kurtz said he felt there should be a law, similiar to the Son of Sam law in NY (which prevents convicted criminals from selling their stories), whereby a writer is prohibited from colelcting any profit as a result of journalist fraud.

As a teacher, I would like to second that suggestion by Kurtz, because kids in America are watching and reading this story of Blair as well.

It is very tough to convince some kids to do the right thing, but it is especially hard to convince them to stay off of alcohol, cocaine, and graduate from school, when they see a kid like Blair (and often rock stars, and Hollywood stars) drop out of school, commit fraud, have alcohol problem, and do cocaine -- AND, THEN: Blair is the one who is rewarded with the big bucks.

This has to change. It would be a major change in America. But, it really has to change. We have to stop rewarding people who should not be role models, and start rewarding the people who should be role models for our nation's youth.

[summer]

colelcting= collecting

[doosee]

Howard Kurtz, the host of CNN's "Reliable Sources," was just now on tv talking about this Jayson Blair matter, and Kurtz expressed disgust that now, Jayson Blair will probably be rewarded for his fraud with a mega-money literary contract. Kurtz said he felt there should be a law, similiar to the Son of Sam law in NY (which prevents convicted criminals from selling their stories), whereby a writer is prohibited from colelcting any profit as a result of journalist fraud.

Slickmeister, $12 million book contract after admitting to lying under oath. There's the role model.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

[dennisw]

If all this is true then NewsWeek (owned by Times competitor Washington Post) got the inside scoop.

[NittanyLion]

Raines also said that if he looked into his heart, his guilt as a white man from Alabama had something to do with why he gave Blair, a black reporter from Virginia, second and third and fourth chances.

He destroyed his employer's and his own credibility, but the important thing is that Howell Raines' guilt has been assuaged. An honest person would never fall back on such a pathetically obvious emotional ploy.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

The New York Times now really deserves it's slang moniker

The New York Slimes

[Mike Darancette]

betrayal

He feels betrayed? I guess this guy feels that the Times' version of affirmative action guaranteed him success and lifetime tenure no matter how slovenly and dishonest his performance as a journalist.

He will become the Poster Boy for affirmative action programs throughout the country.

[SkyPilot]

understand that there is a deeper story and not to believe everything they read in the newspapers."...

Ya think?

[Im Your Huckleberry]

There's so much I could say here, but of course if I did it would just expose me as the evil, white, racist, elitist that I am, don't you know.

God the things I could say after reading this...all that would get me banned, too...

[backhoe]

I agree with you, summer- ^

[proxy_user]

There is an underlying thread here that has nothing to do with race and affirmative action. Raines is typical of many arrogant managers who want to "break up a stodgy corporate culture" and "bring in new young people and exciting ideas".

Unfortunately for them, experienced workers and institutional memory are quite valuable, and it is easy to get suckered. If you don't know what you're doing, "the best and the brightest" frequently turn out to be fast-talking con men.

The Times isn't the only iconic institution who fell for this. Look at ATT and what they had and pissed away. They spent hundreds of millions of dollars on consultants to advise them what products to sell, and in the end they had nothing.

[Im Your Huckleberry]

Absolutely. You said it.

This paper is exposed as the vile cesspool of liberal nonsense, bilge and filth that we always knew it was. I guess none of us should be surprised at any of this since we've long known it, but seeing them exposed to the world is simply quite satisfying in a gut, visceral way that's hard to explain.

[Dog Gone]

Blair has signed up with David Vigliano, a literary agent, and is in talks for book, movie and television deals.

I can't imagine anyone buying a book written by this liar. But I couldn't imagine anyone buying OJ Simpson's book, written while he was awaiting trial, but they did.

[aristeides]

Some FReeper was very quick to conclude cocaine use. I don't remember who it was, but he was sharp.

[Im Your Huckleberry]

Gee, wonder who will write his "book"...

[mewzilla]

Newsweek with the inside story?! ROTFLMAO. The same rag that employs Spikey Isikoff? Uh huh...

[martin_fierro]

A "troubled relationship with the truth" PING.

[summer]

Re your post #10 -- I hear ya, and this sentence in particular really made me hit the roof:

"Later, he [Blair] told friends that he identified with Malvo....

Repeat: Blair "identified with [accused sniper] Lee Malvo"

WTF???????????????????????????????

[summer]

Re your post #10 -- I hear ya, and this sentence in particular really made me hit the roof:

"Later, he [Blair] told friends that he identified with Malvo."

Repeat: Blair "identified with [accused sniper] Lee Malvo"

WTF???????????????????????????????