海角大神

During her commencement address at Wake Forest University on Monday morning, Jill Abramson, the former New York Times executive editor unceremoniously fired last week, told graduates about the future of her now-famous tattoo.

鈥淎 couple of students who I was talking to last night after I arrived, they know that I have some tattoos,鈥� she said to thousands gathered at the university鈥檚 lawn on Hearn Plaza, the heart of the campus in Winston-Salem, N.C. 鈥淎nd one of them asked me, are you going to get the Times 'T' that you have tattooed on your back removed?鈥�

鈥淣ot a chance,鈥� she said.

It was the first time Ms. Abramson, the first woman appointed to lead the storied newsroom in the paper鈥檚 162-year history, spoke publicly about her former employer since her abrupt ouster last week, generating a maelstrom of controversy over charges of sexism, unequal pay, and unfair treatment of females in high level positions 鈥� charges the Times continues to deny.

鈥淪ure, losing a job you love hurts, but the work I revere 鈥� journalism that holds powerful institutions and people accountable 鈥� is what makes our democracy so resilient,鈥� Abramson said. 鈥淭his is the work I will remain very much a part of.鈥�

The former executive editor, who told graduates it was 鈥渢he honor of my life to lead the newsroom,鈥� reportedly signed a non-disparagement agreement with her former employer as part of her severance. But she alluded to the context of sexism, mentioning Katherine Graham, the late publisher of the Washington Post, and Nan Robinson, a groundbreaking female journalist with Times, and describing them as her 鈥渉eroes.鈥�

鈥淭hey both faced discrimination in a much tougher, male-dominated newspaper industry, and they went on to win Pulitzer Prizes,鈥� the industry鈥檚 highest honor, she said.

Abramson also brought up Anita Hill, the professor of law at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., who became a national figure in 1991 when she accused then-US Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment. Facing an all-white and all-male judiciary committee, she was called 鈥渁 little bit nutty and a little bit slutty,鈥� she recalled to the Wake Forest audience.

Last Wednesday, Abramson was fired by Times publisher and owner Arthur Sulzberger, who cited 鈥渕anagement issues鈥� with her leadership, which the paper said was 鈥渕ercurial鈥� and 鈥渄ivisive.鈥� On Saturday, the paper gave additional information about her dismissal, saying she failed to communicate with her staff about her decisions.

"During her tenure, I heard repeatedly from her newsroom colleagues, women and men, about a series of issues, including arbitrary decision-making, a failure to consult and bring colleagues with her, inadequate communication, and the public mistreatment of colleagues," Mr. Sulzberger said in the statement.

But critics continue to rail against her unceremonious dismissal for reasons they say would never happen to a male in her position. Sulzberger told the staff last Wednesday that the decision to oust Abramson was 鈥渘ot about the quality of our journalism鈥� or 鈥渁ny disagreement over the direction of our digital future.鈥�

And in less than three years under her watch, the New York Times won eight Pulitzer Prizes, including four in 2013 鈥� the most since the paper won five in 2002, after its coverage of 9/11 and the war in Afghanistan. Revenues and subscriptions were also up for the first time in years during her leadership of the newsroom.

Such bottom-line success, many women say, would not only trump the kind of personal issues cited by Sulzberger in most any industry, they are actually the hard-nosed leadership traits that are seen as attributes of successful men.

鈥淲omen have to prove themselves every day,鈥� writes retired Col. Jill Morgenthaler, the first woman battalion commander in the Army鈥檚 88th Division, in Quartz, recalling the discrimination she faced as she rose through the ranks. 鈥淲hen a man states bluntly what he thinks, he is praised for being direct. When a woman states bluntly what she thinks, she is called brusque. When a man asks for a raise, he is praised for his assertiveness. When a woman asks for a raise, she is difficult to work with. When a man shares his ideas, he is creative. When a woman does, she is pushy.鈥�

But Abramson still praised the newspaper she said was 鈥渋rreplaceable.鈥�

鈥淵ou know, New York Times journalists risk their lives frequently to bring you the best news report in the world,鈥� she said during her commencement address. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why it鈥檚 such an important and irreplaceable institution, and it was the honor of my life to lead the newsroom.鈥�

She urged graduates who 鈥渒now the sting of losing or not getting something you badly want鈥� to 鈥渟how what you are made of.鈥�

鈥淲hat鈥檚 next for me? I don鈥檛 know,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o I鈥檓 in exactly the same boat as many of you. And like you, I鈥檓 a little scared, but also excited.鈥�