The foundation should be ashamed of the hefty purse it handed to Lehrer. Practically everyone in the media has wanted to hear from him since he admitted his mistakes in a few brief comments last year, but this was not the way. In addition to not making up quotes, journalists should not pay for interviews, especially with disgraced colleagues. Doing so only suggests that for a lot of reporters, there’s more money in fabrication and plagiarism than in journalism.
Update: After initially telling The Washington Post that there was nothing controversial about the fee it paid to Lehrer, the Knight Foundation reversed course early Thursday morning, posting the following comment on Twitter:
You’ve spoken, we agree - it was a mistake for a #journalism foundation to pay @jonahlehrer for a speech kng.ht/XCPZb9 #infoneeds
— Knight Foundation (@knightfdn) February 14, 2013
Just EFF YOU, Jonah Lehrer. The Knight Foundation paid you $20K to, well, to "confess" like Ratzi the Nazi? I have done what I rarely do on Facebook, and post "publicly" and asked others with journalism connections to share this far and wide.
#1 Posted by SocraticGadfly, CJR on Wed 13 Feb 2013 at 02:36 PM
Add this: Knight Foundation/Alberto Ibargüen see no ethical issues. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2013/02/12/knight-foundation-president-lehrers-20000-not-controversial/
#2 Posted by SocraticGadfly, CJR on Wed 13 Feb 2013 at 02:50 PM
"If I ever write again."?? Equating writing to getting published or being a big shot journalist just shows how arrogant he still is.
Like Mr. Brainard I also have qualms about paying Mr. Lehrer for this first chapter of his potential come-back story. But I think Brainard's rational is off. He's basically saying if Lehrer profits, everyone will start doing it. It's a school marm's argument. It's enough to say Lehrer is rightly ashamed of his actions and journalists - like those at Knight - should not pay for interviews. Period.
#3 Posted by MelissaT, CJR on Wed 13 Feb 2013 at 04:08 PM
I have a hard time getting past this statement, "I need a new list of rules."
Uh, no, JL. It's the same old bunch of rules, sorry. I really don't think the rules were the problem.
And, Jonah Lehrer, give back the $20 K to the Knight Foundation. No matter what work you end up doing.
#4 Posted by Suzanne B, CJR on Wed 13 Feb 2013 at 07:51 PM
What I find consistently puzzling is that whether it be from public politician to private housewife why so many folks still do not seem to grasp the concept, that if you exercise poor judgement, you will be called out eventually.
#5 Posted by memphisgarrison, CJR on Wed 13 Feb 2013 at 10:22 PM