[Previous: "RTFM"] [Back to blog] [Next: "OMG"]
I have to admit to being completely shocked that the Jayson Blair story got as much attention as it did.
When the story broke, I was packing my bags for Japan. It was still in the news brief stages.
I didn't follow much news while I was in Japan. But I did keep the TV on CNN International (our lone English-language TV station) whenever I was in our hotel room, and there was never any mention of Blair or the New York Times the whole time I was there.
I came home and was surprised to find that it was front-page, cover-story news. Blair's name was splashed across the cover of every magazine, featured in every newspaper. His story even made for plenty of stand-up fodder.
I figured that news must have been slow while I was gone. The ubiquitous coverage I returned to just smacked of the media being fascinated by itself -- or enjoying ripping apart the highfalutin NYT like a pack of wolves.
The feature stories I've read on Blair's history, drug use and arrogance, however, have been thoroughly interesting.
Current mood: Unmotivated