FARK.com: (534935) Disgraced Times reporter is proud of pulling one over New York Times, now plans book deal

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		Disgraced Times reporter is proud of pulling one over New York Times, now plans book deal (foxnews.com)		191
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9801 clicks; posted to Main » on 21 May 2003 at 9:08 AM | Favorite | share:

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Nabb1		2003-05-21 09:38:51 AM

Some people have no shame. Lie to your bosses and everyone around you, get caught, play the victim, and sign a book deal. It's a sad state of affairs where charlatan can turn a big profit off of his deception.

HanZnSolo		2003-05-21 09:40:47 AM

...of course, if they fired him, he would probably sue, saying that they fired him because of his race, which would cost them tons of money. Maybe they were afraid of firing him for that reason. There are lots of people out there that use their race as a crutch for laziness.

That comment was not meant to be racially charged in any way...if white people were the ones getting the direct benefits (e.g.: employment) of affirmative action, many would do the same thing...

baldy_white		2003-05-21 09:41:47 AM

Let's see . . . Let's give a book deal to someone who admittedly makes up facts and plaigarises (sp?). Well, if it's fiction, making up facts will be ok, but they may still have a lawsuit on their hands if he steals someone else's material.

I can just see it now. "I was born in Tunguska, Siberia, in the year 1498. . . ."

Nabb1		2003-05-21 09:42:17 AM

One could say the same thing of CNN, Demetrius, where I first read this same article this morning. I do believe it was CNN who recently announced they kept quiet about Saddam Hussein's atrocities in the interests of keeping its Baghdad bureau open. Not that Fox is the gold standard for journalistic intergrity, either, but just the same.

Diogenes		2003-05-21 09:42:59 AM

Just another example of an American using their dysfunctions to elevate them to level of celebrity. Next stop, Oprah.

HanZnSolo		2003-05-21 09:43:39 AM

In my opinion, the closest thing to journalistic integrity is NPR...and I'm sure someone will disagree with me there, too.

mortisthecat		2003-05-21 09:44:11 AM

Good for him. The media needs to be taken down a peg or 12. As for anyone who believes everything they read in the newspapers,THEY ARE FOOLS. Wake up, America, lies and fabracations are printed every day in your local and national rags. Still, I read 3 newspapers every day, only I call BS on 50% of it.

2DShooter		2003-05-21 09:44:42 AM

Affirmative action at work. 'Nuff said.

modernhamlet		2003-05-21 09:45:51 AM

HanZnSolo,

I'm neither for nor against affirmative action, but bad management is the problem in this situation.

Dead on, my friend.

Working for a Fortune 20 company myself, the idiocy of the managers 2 and 3 levels above me is truly astounding.

Me: Hardworking, smart, getting the job done.
My boss: Hardworking, smart, getting the job done.
His boss: Yes man.
His boss: Ladder climbing corporate whore.

At some point the smart people really need to just say "We're taking over. Get out of the way."

Nabb1		2003-05-21 09:47:24 AM

Was it the Times or the Washington Post that got embarrassed back in the 1980's when it turned out that a female reporter had completely fabricated a series of articles about a five year old heroin junkie that had caused a huge public outcry to name her source so they could help the child? It was the Times, wasn't it?

SchlingFo		2003-05-21 09:48:14 AM

Jebus_Frist,

Has the Times come out and admitted that they put him in a position that he wasn't qualified to do as a result of affirmative action? Curious....

Yes, actually his boss admitted that. He said that he gave him opportunities and chances he wouldn't have given him had he not been a minority.

I was impressed by that. That's the only thing in this situation that's impressed me, though.

Purple_Jack		2003-05-21 09:48:45 AM

The Times found fraud, plagiarism and inaccuracies in 36 of 73 articles examined between October and April.

Jayson Blair's name was in the frame to be the new Iraqi Information Minister. Unfortunately, he was rejected on the grounds that he was over-qualified.

aaslatten		2003-05-21 09:50:51 AM

Journalism is the biggest lie of all, because it purports to be the truth.

incrdbil		2003-05-21 09:51:38 AM

I hope someone reminds us when this guys book is released. I want to be waiting at the local bookstore to see it come out--and publicly shame whoever tries to buy the thing for supporting this smirking jackass.

modernhamlet		2003-05-21 09:52:18 AM

Modernhamlet's quick guide to journalistic integrity

If you want balanced, high-quality, low-bias reporting, here are the places to go:

The Christian Science Monitor

BBC News

The Economist

Anyone have any good additions?

SherKhan		2003-05-21 09:53:01 AM

"The media needs to be taken down a peg or 12."

I suppose that's one way to look at it and probably a very popular one too. It is, after all, easier and more expedient to topple than to erect but I find myself wanting to raise the bar rather than indulge in the schadenfreude polka. Oom pah pah smirk.

enave		2003-05-21 09:53:08 AM

Incrdbil
I want to be waiting at the local bookstore to see it come out--and publicly shame whoever tries to buy the thing

that's very noble of you, but he'll be paid cash up front. So, he'll be a millionaire before the book is every printed.

ferrisbuellerlives		2003-05-21 09:53:12 AM

Byrd

While I would agree with you 99% of the time, there are special circumstances here.

This asshat actually was hired under an internship from the New York Times based solely on his race.

Hence the reason the affirmative action card seems to be played so much.

mortisthecat		2003-05-21 09:53:43 AM

Modernhamlet:

Yeah, The Onion.

kab		2003-05-21 09:53:46 AM

"I was either going to kill myself or I was going to kill the journalist persona," he said. "So Jayson Blair the human being could live, Jayson Blair the journalist had to die."

You chose wrong, it seems. Oh, have fun getting another job.

Penrod, get over yourself.

HanZnSolo		2003-05-21 09:55:28 AM

Modernhamlet

The sad thing is that your exact situation is played out on a daily basis in thousands of companies world wide, but nobody does anything about it because they're all powerless to do so. Unfortunately, those that have the vaguest idea of how to do things right have no recourse. Violence is illegal.

cleverish		2003-05-21 09:55:51 AM

Sounds to me that the his boss, the managing editor, and the fact checking department need to go too. If your boss takes everything you say as the Truth and prints it without due diligence then your boss is a fool. Not saying Jayson isn't culpible, but the blame should get readily spread around here. . .in essense, this idiot is not publishing one of the most reputable papers in the country nor is he responsible for content -- he produces what the managing editor asks for. ramble ramble ramble. . .farkers -- the whole lot of them.

stymie		2003-05-21 09:56:53 AM

This pathetic bastard should be horsewhipped.

/BA-Journalism

mortisthecat		2003-05-21 09:57:29 AM

SherKhan:

Who want's to topple the media? This type of thing WILL raise the bar. The reporters better have their facts straight because they will be checked. I think people will now be more skeptical about what they read and maybe, just maybe, do more research on what the hell is going on.

dottore		2003-05-21 10:00:04 AM

Joe_diGriz
Does anyone else want to wipe that smirk off with a baseball bat, or is it just me?

Nah... I want to help too... and the same to anybody who finds this shiat "funny"

What an arsewipe! I think he picked the wrong "persona" to kill off, personally. And he did farking "fool" anybody... he just farking lied. Any dickwad can do that.. there's nothing funny or clever or original or admirable about it.

What this empty meatpuppet did was about as clever as beating up an old woman and then bragging to the homies about being a badass.

dottore		2003-05-21 10:00:56 AM

Sorry.. should read "he DIDN'T farking 'fool' anybody"

Delboy		2003-05-21 10:02:05 AM

Having read the NYT every day during a recent 4 week assignment in the states I'd have to say it's probably the most insufferably sanctimonious paper on the planet. This entire fiasco couldn't have happened to a nicer newspaper.

hdhale		2003-05-21 10:02:24 AM

"I was either going to kill myself or I was going to kill the journalist persona," he said. "So Jayson Blair the human being could live, Jayson Blair the journalist had to die."

Bin Laden, Saddam, Jayson Blair the human being...ever notice that the people around these asshats die in droves, yet the real source of the problem somehow manages to escape?

As for Fox News...sorry that PMSNBC and the Cowards News Network and their "unbiased" coverage aren't as popular as their supporters would like them to be. Perhaps they should consider hiring Mr. Blair. Afterall, any network that would hire Peter Arnett must have good instincts regarding journalistic integrity.

--h

dirt		2003-05-21 10:04:04 AM

Modernhamlet (ever notice how the success stories don't get mentioned much?)

That's because nobody has an issue when a qualifed person get's a job, or a slot in a college, regardless of race.

It's only when some moron who doesn't deserve to be there get's the position/slot/job regardless of his/her qualifications, but just because of thier race.

AA isn't a problem because people a minority races get a chance, it's because morons of minority races get a chance.

suicidepoop		2003-05-21 10:05:09 AM

Mr. Blair. Andy Warhol is on the phone for you. He says your 15 minutes are up.

SpectroBoy		2003-05-21 10:05:18 AM

Couldn't stop laughing huh?

Hopefully the NY Times will sue his laughing ass for damaging the paper and defrauding the company. I bet they got a pretty good case. Then we'll see if smug-o-boy can stop laughing.

Chant with me now
Lawsuit! Lawsuit! Lawsuit! Lawsuit! Lawsuit!

This asshat needs a lesson in cause-and-effect.

Nabb1		2003-05-21 10:06:14 AM

his type of thing WILL raise the bar. The reporters better have their facts straight because they will be checked. I think people will now be more skeptical about what they read and maybe, just maybe, do more research on what the hell is going on.

I looked up the answer to my own question. Janet Cooke was a reporter for the Washington Post who caused a huge flap in the early 1980's when she ran a series of articles following the struggle of an eight year old boy who had been a drug addict since the age of five. So, this is not the first time an established, high-profile newspaper has been caught in a very embarrassing scandal about a reporter fabricating stories. I doubt it will be the last.

Byrd		2003-05-21 10:06:23 AM

I've noticed some attacks on liberals in here. This is not a liberal/conservative issue.

If you believe the the NYT or this guy are liberal and that had something to do with the whole thing, I think you're wrong. This guy is a lying sack of shiat for whatever reasons, and has no intention of doing any good for anyone but himself when he so blatently submits lies for publishment. He abused (and was allowed to abuse) his position, but his political affiliations are pretty much irrelevant since he didn't seem to do it for any political reasons.

It would be a different case if here were making up biased info about a certain party because he favored the other party.

HanZnSolo		2003-05-21 10:06:42 AM

He could learn that lesson from the Marivingian...

"I drank too much wine. I have to take a piss. Casualite."

SherKhan		2003-05-21 10:10:18 AM

"This type of thing WILL raise the bar."

Indeed and I do hope so. Blair had nothing more than a superficial interest in getting his "facts" straight (whaaa?) and the editors had the same level of interest in checking up on him. Literally. Bah, I say. BAH!

*shush, SherKhan, indoor voice...*

Skepticism: A too often underused blade in this blarney life.

studkickass		2003-05-21 10:11:29 AM

he will fail where others have failed before him..

yayamon		2003-05-21 10:11:30 AM

Can't wait for Jayson Blair the corpse

mortisthecat		2003-05-21 10:12:14 AM

Support your LIBRARYS!!!!!

It's all there for your enlightment.

St.Alfonzo		2003-05-21 10:13:43 AM

05-21-03 10:02:05 AM Delboy

Having read the NYT every day during a recent 4 week assignment in the states I'd have to say it's probably the most insufferably sanctimonious paper on the planet. This entire fiasco couldn't have happened to a nicer newspaper

I prefer that nice USA Today. It makes me feel smart. Plus it has exciting color pictures.

modernhamlet		2003-05-21 10:13:47 AM

Dirt

AA isn't a problem because people a minority races get a chance, it's because morons of minority races get a chance.

Couldn't agree more.

That's why I blame the quality of management, not affirmative action.

To restate my earlier point: When white morons get a chance we don't blame it on cultural bias. So don't blame affirmative action when african-american morons get a chance.

In both cases blame the people who hired and supervised the person for not doing their freaking job. This moron took a great position at a great newspaper from a highly ethical black journalist because management were morons.

To summarize:

Affirmative Action = Not Problem
Morons hiring Morons = Problem

soc_151		2003-05-21 10:15:44 AM

Joe_diGriz
Does anyone else want to wipe that smirk off with a baseball bat, or is it just me?

I'd prefer to use a cheese grater. Yeah, you sure fooled them all...

Riots		2003-05-21 10:16:02 AM

I partly see this as a function of our blameless society. The Times should have fired the asshat way, way back, but instead took the sensitive employer route. In this litigious nation of ours you can't blame them for fearing a lawsuits for wrongful termination from a person with a borderline personality and enough cards in his deck (race, poor-me-I'm sick-it's-not-fair, etc.) to cause a big headache.

widgie		2003-05-21 10:19:16 AM

original NY observer article:

http://www2.observer.com/observer/pages/offtherec.asp

SchlingFo		2003-05-21 10:20:00 AM

Modernhamlet,

When white morons get a chance we don't blame it on cultural bias. So don't blame affirmative action when african-american morons get a chance.

Ummm, actually, a good majority of us are pissed when the "good ole boy" network puts a moron in a position he doesn't deserve. So, yeah, we do blame it on cultural bias when white morons get an undeserved chance.

Accordingly, I'll blame affirmative action when black (I hate the term african-american; you're born here in the U.S., you're American) morons get an undeserved chance.

elcoin		2003-05-21 10:21:06 AM

As a member of the black race, I am officially embarrassed by this no talent assclown's deception. It's idiots like him that make the affirmative action policy look like crap. And I don't even believe in affirmative action. I hope he is cained soon.

Dman33		2003-05-21 10:25:59 AM

He should not have had the job in the first place if the NYT was vigilant in their hiring process. This tool never graduated! Sheez... I wish the IT industry was this laxed. I was once asked to provide proof of a M$FT certification by providing the score. The problem is that M$FT does not provide scores for most (if not all by now) the exams hence I could only provide proof that I passed. The told me that unless I could provide a score, I would not be considered. Um, I bet the position is still open today unless someone lied and photoshopped a passing cert with scores.

Anyway, my point being... they should have checked his degree with the school before blindly hiring him. I think there were some inside connections that the NYT is afraid of exposing. This no-talent con artist may have picked up a few tips from 'Catch Me If You Can' but the end result is that the book has already been written, the movie has already been made, and he will never work in the journalism trade again. I hope.

modernhamlet		2003-05-21 10:26:13 AM

SchlingFo,

Well, until we live in an society where people are hired and evaluated solely on their qualifications (and one hopes, integrity), then we have two options as I see it:

1. Have affirmative action in order to balance out the "good ole boy" network.

2. Allow the "good old boy" network to screw minorities.

Affirmative Action is a textbook case of society treating the symptoms and not the illness. This is why I'm generally neutral on Affirmative Action debate.

incrdbil		2003-05-21 10:26:33 AM

Enave

Yes--you are right. Still, anything to keep it low on the best seller chart and getting another ediiton/follow up. I hate seeing worthless freaks like that getting a reward for demonstrating such pathetic behavior.