It takes guts to reinvent yourself after a colossal screw-up. And disgraced former journalist Jayson Blair knows all about colossal screw-ups, which is exactly why we were pretty surprised to learn that Blair has become … a life coach. A life coach? You might not expect Blair would be the person you would turn to in times of personal crisis, but it appears his rather checkered past makes him pretty good at helping others.
“He can relate to patients just beautifully,” Michael Oberschneider, the psychologist who hired Blair and urged him to become a certified life coach at his respected mental health practice in northern Virginia, told the Associated Press. “Sometimes you just meet people in life who have these electric personalities. Well, Jayson is now using his talents for good.”
As you probably recall, Blair caused the journalism scandal of the century back in 2003 when his editors at The New York Times discovered that he basically just made sh*t up wholesale while “reporting” his stories. It later came out that Blair didn’t even have a college degree, and was promoted several times at America’s most “trusted” news source despite concerns about his error rate. His departure led to the resignation of the paper’s executive editor and managing editor, and rocked the journalism world for months.
But none of that means Blair can’t be a good life coach. On the contrary, his difficult past apparently makes it easier to relate to his clients who are suffering. He told the AP he often talks about his personal history, which also includes substance abuse problems and a bipolar disorder diagnosis, which often helps him relate to his clients.
“I am open about all the details of my problems and that allows people to know who they are listening to,” Blair said. “They know I’ve been in their shoes. I think it can feel a little more authentic.”
Blair’s Act Two takes us by surprise, but we respect him for trying to help himself — and others.
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