Jayson Blair Update

The Washington Post has a opinion piece on Jayson Blair, by Terry Neal. Apparently, I should have included Ruth Shalit in my list of noted plagiarizers who were not beneficiaries of any affirmative action programs. I like Neal’s take on why Blair, and other plagiarizers, do so well (until they are caught):

…Here’s my theory: Freed from the normal constraints of truth and veracity, “journalists” such as Blair, Shalit, Barnicle, Smith and Glass shine above their counterparts. They’re promoted ahead of the pack because their stories, sneakily cloaked as journalism, read better than everyone else’s stories. In a profession fueled by competition, their careers are propelled along because of, rather than in spite of, their transgressions…To suggest somehow that Blair is unique in being coddled by upper management is pure buffoonery.”

AB