2008 Woodie Awards
Blair bears blame for unethical behavior
Cassi Matos
Issue date: 4/15/04 Section: News
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Jayson Blair admits that honesty is not his forte.
Blair, the 27-year-old former New York Times reporter fired for plagiarism and fabrication of more than 30 articles, spoke to a packed Nelly Goletti theater about the ethical dilemmas he has faced.
After arriving 45 minutes late, the first thing Blair did was apologize.
"First I want to apologize," Blair said. "Since I'm not a journalist anymore, I've totally forgotten how to meet deadlines."
Jamal Watson, communications professor, invited Blair to speak to his communication ethics class and then decided to open the forum to the entire Marist community.
Watson said that while many other professors were against it, he felt bringing Blair to campus was important.
"In class we try to grapple with what it means to be ethical communications practitioners," Watson said. "This gave students a chance to not just simply read about what he did, but to confront him with it."
Blair has also published a non-fiction book, Burning Down My Master's House, which details the events leading up to and during his demise at the New York Times.
He said his book contains many valuable lessons for everyone, not just journalists.
"People can learn from my experiences, because they do not just deal with my field, they concern substance abuse and mental illness," Blair said.
Blair said he does not blame his mistakes on his undiagnosed mental illness.
"I was a young man with a lot of talent who rose up and was doing well," Blair said. "But I had problems and I was too afraid to admit I was weak."
Although the two occurred at the same time, Blair said there was no causal relationship between his substance abuse and his unethical decision-making.
"Do I admit weakness and hurt my career, or find a way to deal?" said Blair. "I was sitting at an ethical crossroads."
He said the lies started small, with calling people to reuse quotes, which gradually became using them without permission.