Jayson Blair has become a household name as the man who tore apart the reputation of the most prestigious newspaper in the country by creating a colossal web of lies. Now it appears Blair will make more than just a buck or two selling his story to the world in his book “Burning Down My Master’s House.”
The former New York Times reporter has spent less than a year writing the tell-all book depicting how he successfully deceived hundreds while working for the Times. While Blair has an undeniable right to freedom of speech, his actions are taking advantage of and flaunting decisions he made that negatively affected many people around him. Blair was not the only one whose reputation was damaged when the truth came out. The Times took a huge blow and in the end, top officials such as former Executive Editor Howell Raines and Managing Editor Gerald Boyd stepped down as a result.
Blair blatantly abused the ethics of journalism, and yet “Dateline” and the Times are still giving him media coverage. Friday’s edition of “Dateline” will devote its entire hour to Blair’s upcoming book, which is a move that will probably attract many viewers – Blair’s story is of interest to many. The show has received harsh criticism from some for giving the book’s March 6 release additional publicity, but according to The Boston Globe, NBC spokeswoman Caryn Mautner has openly defended the show’s decision, saying “Dateline” covers “both saints and scoundrels.”
The New York Times has made an even bolder and exceptionally commendable move in deciding to review the book. Instead of simply pushing the book aside and pretending it and the controversy does not exist, the publication has given the book the proper attention any other high profile release would receive.
Blair has thrown the book together as a quick money-making scheme in an effort to benefit from what should have been his ultimate demise, and while it will be a book that will tell an alluring story, it will also be a story about the ways in which he destroyed a lot of people’s trust in journalism and ruined the careers of many others. It is horrible that Blair should positively reap the benefits of his poor decisions that negatively effected so many.
In a just world, he would not make a huge amount of money explaining how he tarnished the profession of journalism, but it should also come as no surprise that such a book is being released. Pete Rose and Monica Lewinsky are two examples of people who have benefited tremendously from controversies they themselves created.