The Jayson Blair Scandal

The Jayson Blair Scandal

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Monday, July 20, 2015

Vol XCIII, No. 311

The Initial Scandal

Background Information

• On April 26th, 2003, Jayson Blair publishes a story on the Iraq war

• The editor of the San Antonio Express News contacts of editor of the TIMES about the similarities between Blair's and Macarena Hernandez's article, which was published two days prior to Blair's.

• A full investigation was launched against Blair, which revealed 36 other instances of plagiarism and fabrication.

Who is Jayson Blair?

"The widespread fabrication and plagiarism represent a profound betrayal of trust and a low point in the 152-year history of the newspaper."

TIMES investigation

• The New York TIMES launched a full investigation on Blair, finding that 36 of his pieces of work were plagiarized.

• The times published a 7,200 word review of Blair's violations on the front page.

• In addition, the times set up an email address, retrace@nytimes.com, for readers to report any additional false-hoods.

• Attended University of Maryland, College Park.

• Student writer for the college newspaper, The Diamondback.

• Became the editor-in-chief in 1996.

• Accepted a summer college internship with the New York Times in 1998.

• Returned to New York Times in 1999, with a year of school left to complete.

• Education was put on the back-burner because in November 1999, Blair became an "intermediate reporter."

I feel like I delivered a blow, an unfortunate blow to a profession that not only did I personally love doing but that I value for society.

- Jayson Blair

"Relatives of Missing Soldiers Dread Hearing Worse News"

"Peace and Answers Eluding Victims of the Sniper Attacks"

"In Military Wards, Questions and Fears From the Wounded"

March 27, 2003

April 19, 2003

February 10, 2003

• No report that Blair visited the ward inside the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

• No record of the journalist interviewing soldier patients.

• Dates of soldiers' admission to the hospital were wrong

• Only talked to one soldier over the phone, but made up quotations from him.

• Lied about soldier leg amputations.

• Claimed that he was in West Virginia — cell records show he was in New York

• Plagiarized quotations from the Associated Press

• Quoted a subjected whom he never talked to

• Made up description of a home he never visited

• Claimed that a subject was in the National Guard — he was in the Army

• Described a dream that a subject didn't have

• Misspelled a name

• Claimed he was in Washington — cell records showed he was in New York

• Plagiarized quotations from the Washington Post

• Made up other quotations from people he didn't talk to

• Claimed that a subject had preached against the death penalty for the snipers — subject wasn't a preacher, never talked publicly about the sniper case, and Blair printed off-the-record information that he got from the subject

"U.S. SNIPER CASE SEEN AS A BARRIER TO A CONFESSION"

The Effects on Journalism

The Aftermath

October 30, 2002

• Jayson Blair resigns in April 2003
• Gerald Boyd, managing editor, and Howell Raines, executive editor, also resign
• Continued to publish Blair’s stories after the NYT metro editor Jonathan Landman urged them to stop
• “We have to stop Jayson from writing for the Times. Right now” - Jonathan Landman
• Set off affirmative action debate.
• Blair returned to college shortly afterward in pursuit of politics
• Currently working as a life coach in Virginia, making a $134 an hour.
• The Times became the butt of the joke on many late night comedy routines

• Claimed that two U.S. attorneys interrogated Washington, D.C. sniper John Muhammad — they weren't there

• Wrote that the same attorneys debated whether Muhammad would be charged federally or locally — they didn't

• Said that Muhammad was close to confessing — he wasn't close, and interrogators were only building a rapport with him

• Addition of a New York Times Public Editor; several other newspapers have followed suit.

• Social media acts as a watch dog for publications

• Journalists must be careful of the social media content that they publish

• There is a closer connection with the reading audience in order to build trust.