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Online Journalism News

Disgraced NY Times reporter beaten to his own domain

Posted: 16/03/04 By: Jemima Kiss
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Traffic to jaysonblair.com, which was set up last year by a UK journalist, has rocketed in the last week with the publication of the former New York Times reporter's book.

UK freelance journalist Kieren McCarthy, who regularly writes for IT websites Techworld and the Register, was quick to recognise the interest surrounding the story and registered the jaysonblair.com domain in May 2003.

"I follow the media slightly obsessively and this is a fascinating story," he told dotJournalism.

"NY Times had been screwed by its own reporter. I knew this would have a massive impact and there would be loads of comment, so I wanted this site to be an objective, useful resource."

Jayson Blair caused a major scandal at the New York Times last May when it was revealed he had plagiarised and fabricated many news stories during his time at the paper.

Executive editor Howell Raines and managing editor Gerald Boyd both resigned from the paper as a result of the scandal.

Mr Blair's book was reviewed in the New York Times at the weekend by Jack Shafer, editor of Slate web magazine. The book itself is promoted on Mr Blair's own site at jayson-blair.com.

Mr McCarthy also established a site for renowned investigative journalist Phillip Knightley, who broke stories of the Profumo scandal and the effects of the drug Thalidomide on unborn children.

See also:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/14/books/review/14SHAFERT.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/11/national/11PAPE.html?ex=1079499600&en=a47bc087204f4cf6&ei=5070
http://www.eurweb.com/articles/headlines/03162004/headlines1365203162004.cfm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3066653.stm
http://www.phillipknightley.com
http://www.kierenmccarthy.me.uk