Ex HP blogger and plagiarist, Johann Hari, has written some sort of “apology” in the Independent. Frankly, I can’t be bothered with it.
He will also return to the Independent. What a surprise.
Hari has been suspended since July and since then founding editor of The Independent Andreas Whittam Smith has conducted an “examination of the evidence” against him.
He has recommended that Hari be allowed to return to the paper next year after four months unpaid leave during which time he will undertake a period of journalism training at his own expense. Hari yesterday returned the Orwell Prize for journalism that was awarded to him in 2008.
Chris Blackhurst, who took over as Independent editor at the beginning of July, is quoted in today’s paper noting that Hari has “acknowledged his mistakes and made a full apology”, adding: “There is no doubting his talent as a columnist and we are hoping to see him back in the not too distant future.”
There’s this satire from the Daily Mash which contains the following tart observation:
And an army of smug piss-artists also condemned the Independent for offering Hari the chance to return after retraining, as if the staffing of a privately owned newspaper could possibly be any of their business
That strikes me as right. Hari is a joke. So is the Indie. Their continued relationship constitutes mutual beclowning. What they do with their football is up to them.
