A Fragile Trust: Plagiarism, Power, and Jayson Blair

Scandal struck the New York Times when it was discovered that prolific Times reporter Jayson Blair plagiarized a story about a missing soldier in Iraq. Investigations revealed this was just one of a stunning series of fabrications and plagiarisms he perpetrated over the years, including such high profile stories as the D.C. Snipers and Jessica Lynch. A FRAGILE TRUST is primarily Jayson's story, a man with an undiagnosed mental illness who was handed a sacred public trust. But Jayson is only one part of a much larger and more frightening story. That tale is of a rapidly changing landscape, where technology creates consumers who demand more news, delivered faster. It is the narrative of a revered institution trying to maintain both a global reputation and a global audience. Was Blair a “tragedy of the electronic age” or the result of an industry trying to fill a limitless digital need? This powerful and important film will make you question both the news markets you trust and your role as a consumer in them. —C.R.