Could Jayson Blair Be Sued for Fraud?

The New York Times reported Sunday that Jayson Blair had fabricated quotes and falsified his whereabouts in many of his stories. In October, when Associated Press reporter Christopher Newton was accused of inventing sources, Slate’s Brendan Koerner explained whether a prevaricating journalist is liable for fraud. “A duped newspaper or magazine could contend that a fiction-spouting journalist obtained part of his salary via fraud, and use a criminal proceeding to try and recoup that money,” Koerner wrote. But “no news organization has ever pursued such a case.”