Fired New York Times editor Jill Abramson on Monday told Wake Forest grads — especially those who have been “dumped” — to show their mettle during the worst times in their upcoming careers.
Abramson came right out of the gate to tell Wake grads not to be down, even if they suffer the humiliation of getting fired, like she was last week from her spot as executive editor of the Gray Lady.
“Now I’m talking to anyone who has been dumped — not gotten the job you really wanted or received those horrible rejection letters from grad school,” Abramson said Wake Forest grads.
“You know the sting of losing or not getting something you badly want. When that happens, show what you are made of.”
During her 11-minute address, the upbeat Abramson compared herself to 2014 Wake grads — saying they’re all unemployed and looking for work.
“What’s next for me?” Abramson said. “I don’t know. So I’m in exactly the same boat as many of you.”
The commencement speaker joked that she had made an appointment with the Wake Forest career counselor.
“And like you, I’m a little scared but also excited,” the deposed editor said.
Abramson recounted a phone call she received from her sister on Thursday, a day after she had been canned by the Times.
http://instagram.com/p/oBhfS8jcGQ/
“She said, ‘I know Dad would be as proud of you today as the day you became executive editor of the New York Times,’ ” Abramson said.
“I had been fired the previous day, so I knew what she was trying to say. It meant more to our father to see us deal with a setback and try to bounce back than to watch how we handled our successes. ‘Show what you are made of,’ he would say.”
Abramson arrived on campus Sunday night and a Wake Forest student she met wanted to know what would become of the Times-style “T” tattooed on the journalist’s back.
“One of them asked me, ‘Are you going to have that Times “T” that you have tattooed on your back removed?’ ” Abramson recalled.
She responded: “Not a chance!”
Abramson apologized to grads for attracting so many extra cameras and TV crews to commencement ceremonies.
“I think the only real news here is your graduation from this great university,” she joked.
“First of all, congratulations. I’m impressed that your achievements have attracted so much media attention, as well they should.”
The Gray Lady ousted Abramson this past Wednesday and elevated managing editor Dean Baquet to the top editorial post.
Baquet had succeeded Abramson as managing editor when she was promoted to executive editor — the first female to hold that post. Baquet takes over as the paper’s first African-American top editor.
Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. has said the move was made due to “an issue with management in the newsroom.” Abramson was allegedly upset over a disparity in compensation compared to past, male, Times executive editors.
Abramson didn’t tackle that issue directly in her speech, but she lauded ground-breaking female journalists — Times reporter Nan Robertson and former Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham — who blazed a trail before her.
“They both faced discrimination in a much, much tougher, more male-dominated newspaper industry and they went on to win Pulitzer Prizes,” the graduation speaker said.
Abramson said she’ll still look back fondly on the nearly three years she spent at the top of the Times.
“It was the honor of my life to lead the newsroom,” she told graduates.