Jill Abramson, the recently ousted executive editor of the New York Times, gave the commencement speech at Wake Forest University this morning. It was her first public appearance since her firing from the Grey Lady last week, and will be watched closely for clues about the mystery surrounding her messy departure. (Roughly 30 news outlets were expected to be on hand at the North Carolina school, according to the Washington Post.)
Abramson agreed to address the graduating class several months ago, and she and the school decided to stick to the schedule despite the change atop the Times masthead. “I cannot think of a better message for the Class of 2014 than that of resilience,” Wake Forest president Nathan Hatch said in a statement late last week. “I am confident she will have an inspiring and timely message for our graduates.”
Video of her speech is above, and check out some of Slate’s past coverage here:
- To Young Women at the Times, Jill Abramson Was Everything
- Jill Abramson Was Right, So She Had to Go
- It’s Not Just About the Money: Why Jill Abramson’s Firing Really Stings
- How the U.S. Media Would Have Covered Abramson’s Firing If It Had Happened in Another Country
Update, 11:30 a.m.: This piece now includes full video of Abramson’s remarks.
