2008 Woodie Awards
Liar, liar, your 'master's house' is on fire
Kate Giglio
Issue date: 4/15/04 Section: Opinion
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The first thing Jayson Blair did upon arriving for his guest appearance at Marist this past Tuesday was apologize and accept full responsibility for being 45 minutes late.
Not surprising, considering Blair's modus operandi consists largely of making excuses (though he calls them "reasons for why I plagiarized and fabricated dozens of stories").
While it is perhaps too trusting on my part, I do believe Blair when he says he knows he has been wrong in his actions. I do not think that he expects anyone to condone his actions, nor do I think he himself believes that what he did was ethical.
However, after reading a few excerpts from his book as well as hearing him speak in the Nelly Goletti theater on the evening of Apr. 13, I have come to the conclusion that he is more concerned with telling people he knows he was wrong, and telling people he is not making excuses for his behavior ... yet then he proceeds, probably even unconsciously, to contradict himself by listing the "reasons" [read: excuses] that prompted his plunge down the "Path of No Principles."
Blair said repeatedly during the forum that mental illness was not an excuse for his behavior, and that he did not want people to think he was using it as one. Well then, why even bother bringing it up? Why include a description of your mental illness in your book? If you truly "don't want to use mental illness as an excuse," then why do you make a point of mentioning it at all? Inquiring (healthy) minds want to know.
When the floor was opened up to the audience during the question and answer portion of the evening, Blair reiterated several things he had said earlier. This was partially because people asked questions built on what he had said before, and partially because Blair is to the world of journalism what a bad stand-up act is to the world of comedy -someone who does the same act over and over, completely oblivious to the fact that the audience is not buying it.
Not surprising, considering Blair's modus operandi consists largely of making excuses (though he calls them "reasons for why I plagiarized and fabricated dozens of stories").
While it is perhaps too trusting on my part, I do believe Blair when he says he knows he has been wrong in his actions. I do not think that he expects anyone to condone his actions, nor do I think he himself believes that what he did was ethical.
However, after reading a few excerpts from his book as well as hearing him speak in the Nelly Goletti theater on the evening of Apr. 13, I have come to the conclusion that he is more concerned with telling people he knows he was wrong, and telling people he is not making excuses for his behavior ... yet then he proceeds, probably even unconsciously, to contradict himself by listing the "reasons" [read: excuses] that prompted his plunge down the "Path of No Principles."
Blair said repeatedly during the forum that mental illness was not an excuse for his behavior, and that he did not want people to think he was using it as one. Well then, why even bother bringing it up? Why include a description of your mental illness in your book? If you truly "don't want to use mental illness as an excuse," then why do you make a point of mentioning it at all? Inquiring (healthy) minds want to know.
When the floor was opened up to the audience during the question and answer portion of the evening, Blair reiterated several things he had said earlier. This was partially because people asked questions built on what he had said before, and partially because Blair is to the world of journalism what a bad stand-up act is to the world of comedy -someone who does the same act over and over, completely oblivious to the fact that the audience is not buying it.