“His tools of deceit were a cellphone and a laptop computer — which allowed him to blur his true whereabouts — as well as round-the-clock access to databases of news articles from which he stole.” —Times Reporter Who Resigned Leaves Long Trail of DeceptionNY Times)

Jayson Blair demonstrated talent that many junior high schoolers are developing — the ability to assemble bits and pieces culled from different sources into what looks like a coherent narrative. People who do this are bound to make mistakes. In Mr. Blair’s case, the mistakes cost him a promising career at a respected institution.