Release
<div>SHOWTIME FILM EXPLORES THE MISADVENTURES AND DISINTEGRATION OF FORMER NEW YORK TIMES REPORTER JAYSON BLAIR</div>
JON MAAS SERVES AS WRITER AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
New York, NY, October 15, 2003 -- Why would a seemingly bright reporter at one of the most prestigious newspapers in the country sabotage a wonderful career by fabricating stories? The SHOWTIME dark comedy, tentatively titled THE JAYSON BLAIR PROJECT, hopes to answer this question and more. The film, which was announced today by Robert Greenblatt, President of Entertainment for Showtime Networks Inc., is currently being penned by Jon Maas who served as writer/producer of the SHOWTIME film THE LAST DEBATE, which dealt with the power of the media and journalistic ethics. Maas will also serve as executive producer on THE JAYSON BLAIR PROJECT. Sharon Byrens is the creative executive on behalf of Showtime Networks.
THE JAYSON BLAIR PROJECT is based in part on articles by former Newsweek media reporter Seth Mnookin, who recently left the magazine to write a book about The New York Times for Random House. The film will explore how Jayson Blair, once considered to be a rising star in the field of journalism, brought shame upon himself and simultaneously The New York Times.
In making the announcement Greenblatt stated, "We are very excited about this project. Most films based on the world of journalism focus on how a reporter gets his story against amazing odds or even how they put their lives in peril. This one is truly different. This film will explore what made Jayson Blair so self destructive and how his actions single-handedly destroyed his journalism career."
Jon Maas stated, "The second I read about Jayson, all I could think of was what was going on with Jayson that caused him to be a serial fabricator? Why would anyone who had achieved what he had at such a young age - becoming a reporter for the finest newspaper in the country - do what he did? What on earth possessed him to think he could get away with it? And why did it take so long for The Times to become aware of it?"
Jon Maas, who wrote and produced the SHOWTIME film THE LAST DEBATE, has worked in the theatre, television and feature films and is an occasional contributor to Chicago Tribune and other papers. He started his career in the theatre and was the General Manager's Assistant on such Broadway productions as BENT, THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS and SUGAR BABIES. He was then tapped by legendary Broadway producer David Merrick to be his assistant on the original production of 42nd STREET. Later, he became Director, Programs, East Coast for NBC, supervising such series as LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, THE NEWS IS THE NEWS and FRIDAY NIGHT VIDEOS before becoming a screenwriter.
