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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (34802)	3/16/2004 4:00:43 AM
From: LindyBill	Respond to of 793670

Timeswatch - The Times Tackles Blair's Book The Times deals with Jayson Blair's memoir, "Burning Down My Masters' House--My Life at the New York Times," by outsourcing the review to Jack Shafer, the editor-at-large for Slate with a reputation for tough-but-fair media criticism. It turns out to be a smart move by the Times. While Shafer's Sunday book review briefly offers some pro forma criticism of the Times (though mostly couched in ironic devil's advocacy), Shafer's principal focus is on the individual sins of Jayson Blair. His review begins: "Should you believe anything written by a serial liar? This question will occur to many readers of Jayson Blair's memoir, 'Burning Down My Masters' House,' which chronicles his four-year run as a reporter at The New York Times." He hits Blair for not owning up to his own blame: "But contrition is a dish served not at all in this memoir. From the heights of confession, Blair rappels down Mount Excuse, blaming everybody but himself for his offenses." Shafer notes Blair's problems with accuracy didn't start at the Times: "Now, Times editors may have tortured the young Blair. The pressures of New York City life may have driven him mad. And The Times may be the shadiest publication this side of Weekly World News. But whatever demons--or neurotransmitters--caused Blair to lie, filch and scheme, he didn't acquire them at The Times. It appears that Blair has always been a thief, something 'Burning Down My Masters' House' neglects to mention. After The Times uncovered Blair's deceptions, The Boston Globe reviewed his work there and found numerous examples of journalistic perfidy." Shafer then raises some criticisms made of the Times regarding the Blair imbroglio, but only to say they're irrelevant. His review concludes: "Whether Blair got away with it because he was a clever cheat, or because The Times patronizes African-American employees, or because Gerald Boyd and Howell Raines were guilty black and white liberals, or because the newspaper became too invested in Blair's recovery from drugs and alcohol, is beyond the scope of this review. The Times is a flawed, human institution that deserves every brick tossed at it except this one. Jayson Blair is a confessed con man, and 'Burning Down My Masters' House' is just another installment in his ongoing con."

To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (34802)	3/16/2004 4:03:38 AM
From: Elsewhere	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793670

The Germans may think that if they keep very still and small... Wrong. Can you spell D-J-E-R-B-A? news.bbc.co.uk Neither I nor German officials have any doubt that al Qaeda targets Germany, too. But fighting terror by dropping bombs killing innocent civilians isn't the preferred method of operation in Germany.