Corrections
On Thursday, June 12, 2003, The Times published an Editors' Note stating that ten additional articles by Jayson Blair, who resigned on May 1 as a reporter, were found to include misrepresentations or possible borrowed passages. An accounting of those articles was published online at nytimes.com/corrections.html. This article was among those described. The description:
'Tire Recall Brings Some Panic and a Large Need for Patience'
In this article about consumer reaction to the recall of Firestone tires, Mr. Blair appears to have made incorrect use of reporting he received from a freelance contributor for The Times. The lead anecdote of the article related the experience of Michael Matha, who was ostensibly sitting outside a Firestone tire and service center in Medford, N.J., waiting to get new tires for his gold Ford Explorer. Mr. Blair wrote that Mr. Matha was 'fuming' while outside the center. Both Mr. Matha and Lisa Suhay, the freelancer who interviewed him, said that was an inaccurate characterization. Mr. Matha also denied having said, 'I'm not taking no for an answer.' He also does not recall having said, The car has not moved out of the driveway since the recall was announced.' He says, I still had to drive it.'
Ms. Suhay said she had interviewed Mr. Matha in front of his driveway in Medford, not outside the Firestone tire and service center. Mr. Blair described the Firestone tire and service center as being in Medford. It is in Marlton.