Cashing in…
The chairman of the mass communications department at Winston-Salem State University said he hopes that a scheduled appearance by Jayson Blair later this month will help his students avoid the pitfalls that have made Blair a pariah in the field of journalism.
“We are looking for this to be a positive learning experience for our students,” said Chairman Brian Blount. “We always seek opportunities to teach students their fields through the experiences of people and case studies.”
Blair is slated to speak to print journalism students at the school on Sept. 15 at 10 a.m. Blount doesn’t expect Blair’s talk to be a “how-to” lesson but rather a cautionary tale that will leave students determined to stay clear of the path that Blair followed.
Blair wrote a book and is now on a speaking tour. WSSU is paying him $3,000. The lesson here is quite clear, but it’s not what Brian Blount supposes. Celebrity pays in the USA.
UPDATE (2:05 p.m.): After discussing this item in class today, I see that I neglected to make this point: It is perfectly fine (and educational) to invite Jayson Blair to speak so long as someone official offers a cogent analysis of the harm he did to the profession and the culture, including critical commentary about his profiting from unethical behavior.
Sigh! Not only does this say something about celebrity, it seems to me it also says something (bad)about what’s happening in the academy. What happened to the idea that academics are supposed to uphold standards rather than eliminate them? This validates the old saw about an idea being so stupid that only an intellectual could believe it.
Blair wretch project
Andrew Cline notes that Jayson Blair is going to help teach J-students at Winston-Salem State U. how not to make up stories, fabricate quotes, and pad expense accounts. All to the tune of $3,000: The chairman of the mass communications…