Jayson Blair

Journalist

46 Quotes

I think people can learn from my experience - you know, any young people who are under pressure, whether you work on Wall Street or you work in a factory in Alabama, and young journalists.

Once I had a better beat, I needed to have an even better one. And somewhere in that climbing, I lost sight of, sort of, my moral and ethical underpinnings.

I fooled some of the most brilliant people in journalism.

One of my weaknesses happens to be lying, and I could tell you that I'm never going to lie again in my life, but that would be a lie.

I seek to be authentic and engaging, using my own experiences, being as vulnerable as I ask my clients to be, to enhance the process.

I have lived a life that has been beautiful and painful at some moments. But I am convinced others can learn how to control a certain kind of rage that bubbles up in many Americans, particularly, but not limited to, women, blacks, and other minorities.

When we report stories, we don't just want to talk to people who did the right thing. We want to talk to people who did the wrong thing.

Some people it seems to me would like for me to crawl in a hole and disappear forever. That's just not in my nature.

If they're all so brilliant and I'm such an affirmative-action hire, how come they didn't catch me?

Once I had a better beat, I needed to have an even better one. And somewhere in that climbing, I lost sight of, sort of, my moral and ethical underpinnings.

When we report stories, we don't just want to talk to people who did the right thing. We want to talk to people who did the wrong thing.

You know I am done lying. Obscuring the truth is no longer something I have any interest in doing. I want it all to come out. The good, the bad, the ugly.

If they're all so brilliant and I'm such an affirmative-action hire, how come they didn't catch me?

Racism built me into a person that was set up to be self-destructive.

I believe my own demons would have caught up with me regardless of my race and regardless of whether I worked at 'The Times.'

It's hard to say what role race really played in my case.

Well the first thing I'd say is that I'm not sure exactly what I'm supposed to do to show my remorse other than to say that I'm remorseful.

You know I am done lying. Obscuring the truth is no longer something I have any interest in doing. I want it all to come out. The good, the bad, the ugly.

I am making amends and seeking forgiveness. My only hope is that some good can come out of my situation.

I am immensely contrite. And I'm sorry for the damage I've done.

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