Top New York Times editors resign over scandal

The New York Times Executive Editor Howell Raines, dogged in recent weeks by a plagiarismscandal by a young reporter, and Managing…

The New York Times Executive Editor Howell Raines, dogged in recent weeks by a plagiarismscandal by a young reporter, and Managing Editor Gerald Boyd resigned today, the newspaper said.

The two editors were severely criticized after it wasrevealed that former reporter Jayson Blair had plagiarized andfabricated numerous stories in his four-year Times career.

Since the scandal broke, Rick Bragg, a Pulitzer Prize winner,resigned from the Times amid accusations of dishonestreporting.

Raines and Boyd were blamed for overlooking Blair's errorsand warnings about the quality of his work by other editors.

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They were also accused of promoting the young reporterdespite his known shortcomings.

"Howell and Gerald have tendered their resignations, and Ihave accepted them with sadness based on what we believe isbest for the Times," said Arthur Sulzberger Jr., publisher ofThe New York Times and chairman of The New York Times Co. saidin a statement.