Former Times reporter left trail of lies, fraud Associated Press NEW YORK -- A New York Times reporter "committed frequent acts of journalistic fraud," including stealing material from other newspapers, inventing quotes and lying about his whereabouts, according to an investigation conducted by the paper. The review found problems in at least 36 of the 73 articles written by Jayson Blair, 27, from the time he began receiving national reporting assignments in late October to his May 1 resignation. The Times described the episode as "a low point in the 152-year history of the newspaper." Blair "used these techniques to write falsely about emotionally charged moments in recent history, from the deadly sniper attacks in suburban Washington to the anguish of families grieving for loved ones killed in Iraq," said a story in today's Times. Blair did not return a call from the Associated Press seeking comment, and the Times said he rejected repeated requests to help the newspaper in its inquiry. In a letter sent to the Times and read to the AP after his resignation, Blair blamed "personal issues" and apologized for his "lapse of journalistic integrity." The review began after the editor at the San Antonio Express-News pointed to similarities in an April 26 piece by Blair and a story that appeared in the Texas paper a week earlier. The story concerned a woman's monthlong wait for news on her son, a soldier missing in Iraq. A check of Houston Chronicle archives found at least two stories written by Blair that were cited by the Times: · On April 3, Blair co-wrote a story datelined Palestine, W.Va., quoting family friends of former POW Jessica Lynch. The Times found that Blair had not been in Palestine. · On Dec. 22, 2002, he wrote a Centreville, Va.-datelined story about the Washington-area sniper case, quoting sources as saying five pieces of evidence pointed to John Lee Malvo as the likely triggerman in most of the shootings. Investigators said at least two pieces of evidence cited in the article did not exist. He also was not in Virginia, the paper said.
I know he did. This guy is a disgrace, and calling it a 'lapse in journalistic integrity' is the biggest piece of euphanistic spin I've ever heard. It's not as if he was recovering journalistic fraud and had been on the bandwaggon then had temporary lapse. The guy was just plaing dishonest. Luckily the Times handled the situation correctly.
BUWAHAHAHAHA! Are you freaking serious? This guy has been fabricating stories for years, and where were the NY Times editors? Obviously, they were nowhere to be found.
What he did vs. what the press in general has done lately is sort of like the difference between a politician taking a bribe and a "contribution." Why be stupid when you can play by the rules and still do the same things?
Yes I know. I think you just assume that I'm arguing with you, when I am agreeing with you. I said the reporter was being dishonest and his excuse was a horrible piece of big euphamistic spin. The reason I made the joke about Fox is that they once reported that six Iraqis possibly armed with chem weapons were loose in Mexico or Southern U.S. They've also reported the premature discovery of WMD multiple times, and that's par for the course for these guys. It's ridiculous no matter what media outlet is dishonest in their reporting.
I thought it said he started recieving national assignments this past October. Doesn't sound like years to me, did you go to high school with this guy? Did he piss you off with an article saying money should be cut from the Football team to fund after school programs? Also, the Times is investigating and being up front about this whole thing. I don't remember hearing a peep from Fox after Geraldo's fudge up. Where were the editors? If they were hiding this stuff then, why would they go through the trouble of exposing it all now? Tell me how an editor is supposed to verify a quote? Why didn't misquoted people call in and complain. They got a tip from another newspaper, the idiot quit, and now the Times is taking care of it. What else do you want, for them to pledge blind allegiance to the Republican party? Yeah, that would get you off their case.
