Jayson Blair, the fast-track New York Times reporter who resigned in disgrace after editors realized that he plagiarized and fabricated stories, told an audience of aspiring journalists at WSSU that he owed them a debt. “As an African-American and former journalist, I owe you all an apology,” Blair said. But then, he added that he does not believe his actions have ruined the credibility of journalists, white or black. “Only a racist would judge an entire race by one man,” he said. Blair’s apology rang hollow for some students, who had come hoping that he would shed more light on his motivations. Instead, he talked about being bi-polar, a mental condition also known as manic-depressive illness. Long-time broadcast journalist Jane Pauley recently acknowledged that she, too, suffers from the disorder, which causes dramatic mood swings and reportedly affects about 2 million people in the U.S. However, as yet, no medical link has been established to suggest that the condition necessarily leads to falsifying information and other unethical acts, a point which Blair did not address during his talk. “I appreciate the efforts of the school of Health and Sciences here at Winston-Salem State University,” said Blair, who stated that he was diagnosed with the disorder within a year after the scandal occurred. He added that he accepted responsibility for his actions and stressed that it was not pressure from “higher-ups, drugs or alcohol” that prompted him to fabricate and plagiarize, although he acknowledged that he used drugs and alcohol as a form of self-medication. Instead, he said these factors combined to just make “the wrong path much more attractive.” Blair’s appearance at WSSU, one of only two colleges in the state that has booked him, was arranged by Dr. Brian Blount, the chairman of the Department of Mass Communications. “He represents the painful, dishonorable part of the journalism industry,” Blair said. “It is much larger than Jayson Blair.” The university paid Blair $3,000 for his appearance. Sociology major, Marty Hogan, said she expected Blair to show more remorse. “I believe, to some extent, he does regret what he was doing,” she said, hesitantly. Diedra Lindsey, a freshman, said, “when I heard the story about Jayson Blair and what he had done, I began to have doubts about the media as a whole. Some articles I didn’t believe, (especially) in some.music magazines and, of course, tabloids and gossip magazines. But newspapers are the source for factual information, so basically, he messed that up for me.” She added that she didn’t like Blair’s lecture that much because he really didn’t focus on what he did. “I also think he used his illness and his use of drugs as an excuse for his wrong doing, even though he said they weren’t (the reasons). He is only apologizing because his actions became the front page news story.” Although he no longer reports for a newspaper, Blair said he still loves writing and described journalism as a “calling. Don’t lose sight of that,” he said. Blair said that although he does not write for the Times anymore, he still has a passion for writing. “I loved and still love journalism,” Blair said. “It provides the opportunity to serve.” Because he is so proficient at fabricating the truth, Blair said he has considered writing fiction, but he realizes that there are some skills that even he does not yet possess to perfect the craft.So for now, he is making money from his book, “Burning Down My Master’s House: My Life at the New York Times,” which he said he wrote to counteract any notions that affirmative action had anything to do with his hiring at the Times. “I would have never been hired if I were not up to par,” he said. Blair is also earning money from speaking engagements like the one at WSSU and he’s even been approached about a movie deal. “It’s about the now,” he said. “It’s about this moment.”
Reporter Patricia Commander contributed to this story