The Post's Keith Kelly has a scoop on Jayson Blair's first piece of writing post-Times: His Jane magazine article is about mistakes he made and suggests readers not repeat them. Like getting ticketed for speeding in the company car, and not paying the ticket, only to have your company crack down. In the scheme of things, that's pretty ho-hum. He also says, as Kelly puts it, "wait a few years and build up some good will before letting their eccentricities show" in the office. That Gothamist can whole-heartedly agree with - why show all your cards at once? Having a job is like dating someone you really like: Wait until the last possible minute to reveal the crazy. more ›

Sridhar Pappu says that the young reporters at the New York Times have drafted a memo to management, to improve how the paper treats the youngings, including suggestions like ending "favoritism in the newsroom, develop[ing] transparent procedures for filling open positions, and provid[ing] other amenities for young reporters eager for advancement" - to avoid Jayson Blair like incidents. Jennifer 8. Lee tells Pappu the memo "was more about thoughtfulness than it was about griping." What a novel approach - thoughtfulness versus griping. In a side note, Gothamist enjoys reading Lee, one of the memo's draftters, and loves her middle initial. more ›

Sridhar Pappu tells the Hartford Courant about his interview with Jayson Blair - the interview where Blair admits laughing at the Times mea culpa. Pappu got the interview by leaving messages at Blair's apartment; it's interesting that Blair, so far, has agreed to speak to only young writers, like Pappu and Newsweek's Seth Mnookin. Perhaps Blair's advisers realize that younger writers might have more empathy than older veterans. more ›

It's the Very Special Jayson Blair Issue of The Observer this week: more ›

According to today's Times, the Assistant U.S. Attorney in N.Y.C. has begun an investigation of Jayson Blair: Prosecutor Seeks Information on Resigned Times Reporter. What could they possibly charge him with? Maybe some variety of fraud? Unlikely: it'll be hard to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was intentionally defrauding people or just being sloppy and lazy. And if sloppy, lazy journalism is now fraud, a lot of people should be worried, including Fox News, NY Post, USA Today, and um, Gothamist. more ›