To compare and contrast coverage and outcome of the Jason Arday scandal with that of Cambridge plagiarist William O'Reilly

So firstly, is there an element of racism? Yes, almost certainly, but I think there’s more to it.

I think one key factor is the fabrication of the personal story which is of much more interest to the man in the street than some academic copying someone elses’s homework. I think if it was just the academic plagerism in Jason’s case it would have died down.Most of the internet discussion has focussed on the other stuff ( the runs, the pigs head, the knife man etc). That’s what people are most incredulous about- ie that no one questioned this stuff. If you think how popular all those “scammer”
documentaries are on Netflix then this is along the same lines.

There’s also the fact that he was better known at the time than the other guy, whose name I’ve already forgotten and who is just another middle aged/ old don, fairly indistinguishable from all the others. Jason is more interesting precisely because of his atypical background/ striking appearance etc. I’m not saying either was “well known” but I’d say if you showed a picture of each to a sample of reasonably well read people, a far few would be able to identify Jason ) if not by name) where literally none would be able to identify William.