Jayson Blair facts for kids

Jayson Thomas Blair was born on March 23, 1976. He is an American writer and former journalist. He used to work for a famous newspaper called The New York Times.

In May 2003, Jayson Blair left the newspaper. This happened after it was found that some of his articles contained made-up information and plagiarism. Plagiarism means using someone else's words or ideas without giving them credit.

After leaving the New York Times, he wrote a book in 2004. It was called Burning Down My Masters' House. In the book, he talked about his career. He also shared that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This is a health condition that affects a person's mood. After his diagnosis, he started a support group for people with bipolar disorder. He also began a new career as a life coach.

Early Life and Education

Jayson Blair grew up in Columbia, Maryland. His father was a government worker, and his mother was a schoolteacher. He went to the University of Maryland, College Park. While studying there, he worked as a student journalist.

From 1996 to 1997, he was the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper. This newspaper was called The Diamondback. He was the second African-American student to hold this important position. Some students felt he was very competitive.

Starting at The New York Times

In 1998, Jayson Blair had a summer internship at The New York Times. An internship is like a temporary job to gain experience. He was offered a longer internship, but he decided to finish his college courses first.

He returned to the Times in June 1999. He still had one year of college left. By November of that year, he was working as an "intermediate reporter." Later, he became a full reporter. He was then promoted to an editor.

After the Scandal

After Jayson Blair left the New York Times, the newspaper looked into what happened. This investigation was called the Siegal committee. During this time, there were many discussions among the newspaper staff.

Some staff members believed that Jayson Blair's background played a role in his promotion. For example, his editor, Jonathan Landman, felt this way. He thought it was a wrong decision to promote him to a full-time staff member in 2001.

However, not everyone agreed with this view. The executive editor, Howell Raines, and the managing editor, Gerald Boyd, later resigned. They lost support from the newsroom after the scandal.

After leaving the Times, Jayson Blair faced severe depression. He went to a hospital for treatment. It was there that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder for the first time.

Later Career and Life

After his time at the Times, Jayson Blair went back to college. He finished his degree that he had put on hold.

In 2004, he published his memoir, Burning Down My Master's House. A memoir is a book about a person's own life experiences. The book sold many copies, especially after he was interviewed by famous TV hosts. These hosts included Larry King and Bill O'Reilly.

In his book, he also talked about how journalism worked at the Times. He shared his thoughts on disagreements among the senior editors there.

Helping Others

In 2006, Jayson Blair started a support group. This group was for people living with bipolar disorder. He continued to receive treatment for his own condition.

In 2007, he began a new career as a life coach. A life coach helps people set goals and improve their lives. He worked in Virginia and opened his own coaching center five years later. He was still working as a life coach in 2016.

See also

• Judith Miller
• Brian Williams
• Sabrina Erdely
• Wendy Bergen
• Jack Kelley
• Janet Cooke
• Johann Hari
• Journalism scandals
• Kevin Deutsch
• Stephen Glass
• Ruth Shalit
• Claas Relotius
• Fake news