Times Brass Mea Culpa In Blair Affair

SEX FARCE: Demi Moore propositioned this kook?

MAY 12--Apparently we weren't the only ones who thought that yesterday's New York Times examination of Jayson Blair's fabrications fell a bit short when it came to the brass taking responsibility for the scandal (geez, they moved Blair around the Times like Cardinal Law shuffled priests in Boston).

This afternoon, Times staffers received this memo from "Arthur, Howell & Gerald"--that would be publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr., executive editor Howell Raines, and managing editor Gerald Boyd--noting that the ruling triumvirate accepted responsibility for the monumental fiasco: "In the case of Jayson Blair, our organizational safeguards and our individual responses were insufficient. Howell, Gerald and I accept responsibility for that."

In Sunday's front-page story, Sulzberger is quoted as saying, "Let's not begin to demonize our executives--either the desk editors or the executive editor or, dare I say, the publisher."

On a final note, Arthur might consider running future staff memos through the copy desk, because it "bears" repeating. (1 page)