Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Showing posts with label Media Give credit where credit is due. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Media Give credit where credit is due. Show all posts

Friday, April 27, 2012

Westminster Maryland Online: WaPo’s Reliable Source Notoriously Late, Won’t Attribute - FishbowlDC:

Westminster Maryland Online: WaPo’s Reliable Source Notoriously Late, Won’t Att...: WaPo’s Reliable Source Notoriously Late, Won’t Attribute - FishbowlDC : ANALYSIS ,  FAIL WaPo’s  Reliable Source Notoriously Late, Won’t ...




"WaPo‘s flagship gossip column “The Reliable Source” isn’t exactly setting a good example these days. Sure, we know it’s loathsome to have to attribute to someone else.

But that’s the breaks and the way it goes if you want to be respected by your peers.



+++++++++++++++
Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoffTwitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff
Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net

Tumblr: Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems www.kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/
Smurfs: http://babylonfluckjudd.blogspot.com/
Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/

E-mail: kevindayhoff(at)gmail.com
My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/
+++++++++++++++

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Baltimore Sun rips off Patch.com story on KO Public Affairs astroturfing?

Baltimore Sun rips off Patch.com story on KO Public Affairs astroturfing?

Since then, WBAL.com (and WBAL radio) along with various blogs (including Inside Charm City) reported on the story by Bryan Sears and gave credit to him for the scoop.
On Monday, Baltimore Sun reporter Julie Scharper even gave credit to Patch for the story in a tweet on her personal Twitter account:
Great reporting from @TowsonPatch about faux grass roots activism for speed cameras.
Tonight, approximately 48 hours after the original story broke, a story on BaltimoreSun.com by Raven Hill went live. This article has no mention of Patch as the original news source or Sears as the reporter who did all the initial legwork to break this story... http://insidecharmcity.com/2011/02/08/baltimore-sun-rips-off-patch-com-story-on-ko-public-affairs-astroturfing/

Friday, June 29, 2007

20070628 Linda Lamoned – again and again and once again

Linda Lamoned – again and again and once again

June 28th, 2007 by Kevin Dayhoff

On Tuesday, June 26th, 2007, Kim Zetter, a journalist working for “Wired,” broke the story on Maryland State Board of Elections Administrator Linda Lamone seemingly “endors(ing) Diebold machines in marketing materials.”

Re-read the previous sentence. It is important.

When you read her piece, “Maryland Election Official Endorses Diebold Machines in Marketing Literature;” one can easily see that she spent a great deal of time on it, used cultivated sources, investigated it thoroughly, knew the issues and she broke the story. A story all of the rest of the vaunted mainstream media missed in Maryland. She nailed it.

Did you know that she broke the story?

Chances are great that you did not. Everyone is using her work, yet, except for one buried credit, “The use of her statements in the Diebold brochure was first reported Tuesday by wired.com, the Web site for Wired magazine;” the mainstream media and the Maryland blogosphere – for shame – is not giving her credit.

And this is wrong.

And the one credit she did get is buried so far in an article that if you did not know the issues, or care, and did not purposefully look for it – you would have easily missed it as the article in question was not overly forthcoming that the writer used Ms. Zetter’s work; almost paragraph by paragraph… - in the beginning as a springboard…

In the article, Ms. Zetter’s name was not mentioned and the “credit” was so off-hand and casual, the almost all readers would not be aware of all her hard work – and that she broke the story.

On another front, the crazier thing of it all is that if the Maryland blogosphere treats a colleague in this manner how are we to expect the mainstream media to treat us better?

For other posts about the phenomena of on-line journalists working hard and breaking stories or adding insight to a fast moving story; only to have the main stream media pick it up and not properly attribute the material – click on: Media Commentary MSM Give credit where credit is due.

Now – click on: “Maryland Election Official Endorses Diebold Machines in Marketing Literature” by Kim Zetter and then click on: “Election official criticized over ad” by Melissa Harris – and do a side-by-side comparison. Print them out if you need to. I’ll remain relatively agnostic - - you draw your own conclusions.

To Ms. Harris’s credit, she took the story and ran with it. She did a great job diving-in and bringing forth more information to our attention. But why not give Kim Zetter credit for breaking the story in a prominent manner at the top of the story?

And maybe it is not Ms. Harris’ oversight. For all we know perhaps her original copy did appropriately feature the person who did the original work and an editor messed with it.

Some of the additional depth of Ms. Harris’ coverage piques one’s curiosity… For example, the matter of the YouTube video But that information has been out there for a while and I, for one, am willing to toss it up to the fact that perhaps Ms. Harris decided to give the matter that extra effort – that has been lacking on the part of the institution for which she works, in the past. Ms. Harris obviously worked hard on her piece… where other reporters were more willing to give Ms. Lamone a pass…

In an e-mail exchange with Ms. Zetter, she was extraordinary gracious and professional.

She wrote, in part:

“I'd much rather they write about the subject and not credit me than that they not write about it at all. And the Baltimore Sun reporter did do a good job with her piece.

“What's more, it was only because a number of reporters started calling

the governor's office that he asked the ethics commission to look into

the matter. I'm not sure my blog post alone would have achieved that.”

Methinks that Ms. Zetter is being a bit humble. That said, her professionalism in this context is to be applauded. Many other journalists have not been so magnanimous…

And again, to emphasize - - with the teamwork of Ms. Harris working the story and Ms. Zetter’s initial hard work - things happened. That is the way it should be.

It also would be important for the mainstream media give “the on-line partner” all the credit they are due. In a side-by-side comparison of Ms. Zetter’s story and Ms. Harris’ story, wouldn’t you think that perhaps a few more attributions were in order?

I guess, we should reward Ms. Harris and the Sun for giving Ms. Zetter the fleeting credit they did give her. It’s progress…

Nice work Ms. Zetter – and Ms. Harris…

Moving on to the Linda Lamone matter itself; this is a train wreck.

During the previous Republican administration, the Baltimore Sun was loath to attribute any problems to the darling of the Maryland Democratic Party and the Democratic leadership in the Maryland General Assembly…, Ms. Lamone.

In previous coverage of any number of synthetic (and real) problems during the previous Republican administration, the Baltimore Sun “owned” their coverage. The Sun read like a talking points memo of the Maryland Democratic Party.

Now that challenges persist in spite of campaign promises, many of the articles; on say the hiring and firing of state employees, or the electric rates matter, now feature that “Republicans are saying,” or Republicans charge….” Not that the problems have their “own” legitimacy, as in under the previous coverage of the previous administration…

Delving more into the Linda Lamone train wreck, it will curious as to whether or not she will be held responsible for her alleged job performance issues or for that matter, her conduct on the job. After all, she has been taught for four years that she can do whatever she darn well pleases and the Baltimore Sun and the Maryland Democratic leadership will cover for her and protect her.

Click on “Linda Lamone.” Or read my September 20, 2006 Tentacle column, “Lamoned, again.”

The conduct of Maryland's primary election on September 12 is a national disgrace. We've been "Lamoned!" Linda Lamone, that is. You know - the Democrats' state elections administrator for life.

[…]

You can bet the farm that if the state elections administrator had been appointed by Gov, Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., there would be screaming from the front page to the last, criticizing the governor and calling for the administrator's head.

[…]

The Sun was quick to say in a September 14 article: "Lamone, for her part, said she was "horrified" by the problems that snarled the start of voting on Tuesday but she attributed most of the problems to the largely autonomous local election boards - especially in Montgomery County and Baltimore - not anything that her office or its staff did wrong."

But then, in the same article The Sun says: "The state Board of Public Works did not approve the final order for all of the necessary equipment until July 26, a vote that was delayed by questions raised by board members Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., and Comptroller William Donald Schaefer."

Darn it - well, of course. How could we all be so stupid? It was the governor's fault after all.

Remember, Ms Lamone, "appointed by the State Board of Elections with Senate advice and consent," essentially has a job for life as a result of the 2005 Maryland General Assembly's "Linda Lamone - appointment for life legislation." Remember: 2005 SB 444/HB 675: "State Elections Office and State Elections Advisory Committee" sponsored by Sen. Paula Hollinger and Del. Shelia Hixson?

Blair Lee, in a March 3 Gazette column, "Paybacks are hell," puts it into perspective best. He calls to our attention a Sun article of February 21, "Voting-System Debate Colored By Party Politics."

In the article the paper editorializes on a comment by Governor Ehrlich: ''I no longer have confidence in the state Board of Elections' ability to conduct fair and accurate elections in 2006."

The Sun suggests that this "was Ehrlich's shabby attempt at intimidating the board and suppressing voter turnout... and replacing the state elections administrator, Linda H. Lamone, with someone the administration favors."

Mr. Lee writes, "From time immemorial, state law allowed governors to appoint the state elections administrator - the person who oversees state elections. And for decades, Democratic governors appointed loyal Democrats who could be trusted to keep an eye on the party's interests."

"When Ehrlich became governor in 2003, the Democratic legislature changed the rules . now Linda Lamone can only be removed by an 80 percent supermajority of the full elections board and even when removed she keeps her job until her successor is approved (if ever) by the state Senate, controlled by Democrats!

"In other words, at the prospect of a GOP governor the Democrats installed a Democratic elections-administrator for life. Yet, none of this made it into the Sun's story about ''playing politics" with the elections board. Which raises this question: at what point do reporting omissions create an untruth?"

The answer to our problems is to have the United Nations, former President Jimmy Carter - and perhaps representatives from Zambia, Serbia or Thailand - be official observers for the upcoming Maryland general election.

[…]


The Linda Lamone story will no doubt be continued.

Meanwhile, increasingly, Marylanders get their cutting edge and breaking news from the blogosphere. When a journalist picks up a story, most responsible journalists are quick to link and credit the mainstream media covering the story.

We only ask that the courtesy be reciprocated. Is that too much to ask?

####

Thursday, April 06, 2006

20060404 Give Credit Where Credit is Due by Brad Friedman

“Give Credit Where Credit is Due.” by Brad Friedman

Editor and Publisher post from April 4th, 2006

Read the Editor and Publisher post from April 4th, 2006: “Give Credit Where Credit is Due.”

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/mailto:letters@editorandpublisher.com

[June 28th, 2007 UPDATE: I think it is a dead link, darn it. Or - It may be behind a pay-wall at this point? Or maybe I made a mistake when I copied the link? But I can’t bring it up for the life of me… And that’s a shame because the rest of the piece is quite profound. Brad Friedman nailed this issue in a highly readable and thoughtful manner and this matter of the mainstream media not giving on-line journalists adequate credit for their work continues to be a problem. Go to the end of this post and you’ll get a glimpse….]

Thanks to the wonderful folks – and a great editor - who carry one of my columns, Patuxent Publishing, I am, perhaps, the first blogger to be credentialed by Maryland State government to cover the Maryland General Assembly.

With the exception of some isolated incidents with individuals with a general “attitude problem,” I have had very little problem with organizations to respond or cooperate on articles for the blog.

However, when I broke the Michael Olesker (a columnist for the Baltimore Sun) plagiarism story, (”Who is Max Cleland”) the Associated Press, would not credit me. Other local publications did – but AP went out their way to avoid citing my column in an on-line columnist web site, “The Tentacle,”

If you will recall, I’m the one who called-out Michael Olesker… Doug Tallman with the Gazette was a stand-up guy and gave me credit. The Associated Press, Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun refused to acknowledge my work or that I exist… And I put many-many-many exhausting hours of work into that piece…

In a Tentacle column I wrote on December 21st, 2005, “Who is Max Cleland?,” I called to my readers’ attention that Mr. Olesker had written a column on December 12th, 2005, “Continuing the pattern of dirty politics,” in which he failed to properly attribute a portion of his column to words – intellectual property – that had been written by Peter Carlson in The Washington Post, on Thursday, July 3, 2003, on page C01.

On December 24th, 2005, the Baltimore Sun ran a correction. On December 27th, 2005, Mr. Tallman contacted me and he ran a story on the matter on December 30th, 2005. On January 3rd, 2006 Mr. Olesker resigned. Gadi Dechter, writing, at the time, for the Baltimore City Paper, published a piece on January 4th, 2006, “Sincere Flattery?”

On a related front, in spite of the fact that colleagues get upset with me when I say this; I found Mr. Olesker’s explanation of the matter plausible. I think that the Baltimore Sun threw him under a bus.

[January 15th, 2007 UPDATE: That said, to his discredit, Mr. Olesker did not take responsibility for the alleged and made the entire matter worse… America is a great country and by and large, if you admit your mistake, apologize and offer a plan as to how you will address it in the future, folks are extraordinarily forgiving. Mr. Olesker simply offered a complicated explanation and then said, in essence, everybody does it – so no one is guilty.

Ay caramba.]

But on the other equally big issue - - apparently as you can read here, the story is murky as to whether or not the Associated Press credits on-line journalists… In my case, there was no murky about it. They did not credit my work…

20060401 Give Credit Where Credit is Due eandp

Give Credit Where Credit is Due

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/mailto:letters@editorandpublisher.com

Mainstream news sites fell in love with blogs and citizen journalists last year--but this year they still often fail to credit them when following up on some of their most credible scoops.

By Brad Friedman

(April 01, 2006) -- Recently, the Associated Press carried an article which was based largely on material uncovered through the diligence, research and eagle eyes of the folks at the Web-based news site Raw Story. Though the AP has now admitted to using Raw Story's original reporting, they failed to give credit of any sort to the site.

When called on it by the editor at Raw Story, they said that it was AP policy not to credit blogs. After it was found that they do credit blogs on occasion, they modified their comments to say "We do credit blogs that we know," but added they hadn't heard of Raw Story.

Never mind that Raw Story has been credited by name in dozens of leading newspapers around the country. Or that it is not even a "blog" -- whatever that means, and whatever that has to do with it.

Journalism is journalism is journalism. […]

Read the entire article here: Give Credit Where Credit is Due

####

Associated Press does not credit bloggers

June 28th, 2007

Larisa Alexandrovna: MSM Plagiarism Strikes Again – AP Welcome to ...

Yes, the groups had found it in my article, which they gave to the AP. ... We do not credit blogs! Never mind that plenty of journalists have blogs or that ... www.huffingtonpost.com/larisa-alexandrovna/msm-plagiarism-strikes-ag_b_17873.html - 39k - Jun 27, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Larisa Alexandrovna: Now "We Credit Blogs we Know" - AP Part II ...

He found that the AP had, indeed, gotten our article from "human rights groups" but that it was AP policy not to credit blogs. "It does turn out that we ... www.huffingtonpost.com/larisa-alexandrovna/now-we-credit-blogs-we-k_b_18057.html - 40k - Jun 27, 2007 - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Unclaimed Territory - by Glenn Greenwald: The "credibility" of the ...

And, to their great credit, AP -- which continues to aggressively defend its ..... UPDATE X (a new record): Right-wing bloggers are not, of course, ... glenngreenwald.blogspot.com/2007/01/credibility-of-right-wing-blogosphere.html - 57k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

The Raw Story Associated Press releases statement about Raw ...

An AP spokesman did tell Raw Story that AP does not credit blogs, but he was mistaken. AP does credit blogs when we are aware that they have broken a story ... www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Associated_Press_releases_statement_about_Raw_0404.html - 23k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall March 29, 2006 08:44 PM

This evening I noticed that a writer for the Associated Press, ... a 'blog' and orders its stories in reverse chronological order does not give Mr. Hananel ... www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/008044.php - 35k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this




Friday, March 31, 2006

20060329 Media Matters is leaking

20060329 Media Matters is leaking

Hat Tip Wonkette

Looks like employees for Media Matters have attended the same classes as elected official(s) from the Maryland Town of Mount Airy. In Mount Airy, there is curious phenomena occurring - or so it would appear. Perhaps it is just the vivid imagination of some folks. But anytime there is a confidential/internal memo circulated among staff and elected officials in Mount Airy – it is automatically forwarded to the Carroll County Board of Commissioners, local newspapers and anyone else who may have a passing interest in only one small portion of any particular issue.

In a March 7th, 2006 Frederick News Post article by Katie E. Leslie, Mount Airy Councilman Peter Helt was quoted as publicly stating was has become common knowledge in the public: “Confidential documents sent to council members and the mayor have recently been leaked to the public, Mr. Helt said. Yet neither the mayor or any council member have acknowledged distributing those documents, he said.”

And OMG – there was one really special moment in the Media Matters internal memo: “One rule from the communications shop: TREAT BLOGGERS AS PRESS…”

Perhaps the Associated Press should read this memo.

Please see: 'Only a blogger' in Pajamas Media and also see: MSM Plagiarism Strikes Again – AP Welcome to the Party, by Larisa Alexandrovna.

I have also received a T-shirt for having the Associated Press use my work and not giving me credit for it.

One of many fascinating paragraphs is: “We do not credit blogs!

Meanwhile, thank you Wonkette for keeping us to date with the bathroom etiquette of the male employees at Media Matters.

_________________

Most Meanspirited Post of the Day

Hat tip to Wonkette

http://www.wonkette.com/

March 29, 2006

(Well, so far, anyway.)

Hey, another Media Matters email!

Subject: I can't believe I have to do this again...
From: [Redacted]
Date: Tue, March 28, 2006 10:49 am
To: "'Mmfa staff'"
Priority: Normal

but once again, someone forwarded an internal email to the Wonkette, embarrassing both Media Matters as an organization and all of the colleagues you work with on a daily basis. It's ridiculous enough that email needed to be sent in the first place, and appalling that someone's had the lack of judgment to send it to a widely-read logger. One rule from the communications shop:
TREAT BLOGGERS AS PRESS, and communicate with them through the communications shop. If you have a question about that, ask one of us. I hoped, apparently in vain, that this wouldn't happen again. It did. So I'm hoping again. Don't let this happen again.

Oh, Media Matters, come on. Treat us as press? But the press ignores you! We hang on your every internal memo!

Media Matters


Earlier: Report: Male Employees At Media Matters Are Total F**king Slobs


Update: Men at Media Matters Still Total F**king Slobs

20060104 Male Slobs at Media Matters

Report: Male Employees at Media Matters are Total F***ing Slobs

Hat Tip: Wonkette

January 4th, 2006

We received a copy of this email from confidential sources at Media Matters:

Subject: Men’s bathroom complaint From: “S———” Date: Tue, January 3, 2006 10:37 am Priority: High

Good morning!

On my way out of the office on December 23rd, I was stopped by someone from the management office. He lectured me about a problem in the men’s bathroom. Despite my protestation that I clearly do not use the men’s bathroom, and thus complete unaware of any problems, he continued on. He received complaints from the cleaning crew that newspapers have been “strewn” (his word, not mine) all over the bathroom. If you bring a newspaper or other reading material, please bring it back out. Thanks!

S————


Media Matters for America

While we’re not surprised that the rending and strewing of journalism is a popular activity at Media Matters, we’d like to remind their staff that the medium is the message and that the message you send to your janitorial staff matters. Also, guys, you can’t let yourself be so blinded by the right that you start forgetting how to distinguish between two types of genitalia.

________________

Update: Men at Media Matters Still Total F***ing Slobs

Hat Tip: Wonkette

March 27th, 2006

The good people are Media Matter for America: hard at work fighting conservative bias, still pissing off the janitorial staff:

Subject: Men’s bathroom….again
From: [Redacted]
Date: Mon, March 27, 2006 12:51 pm
To: [Everyone with a penis]
Priority: High

I’m sorry to have to send another e-mail about the men’s bathroom, but Jenny was on the receiving end of an unfortunate tirade from the building engineer (wait….assistant building engineer) a few minutes ago about a clogged toilet from this morning. I know that none of you would intentionally “stuff” a toilet, but he seems to think that someone from this office is doing just that. I’m not sure how to suggest to you guys to be conscious of what’s going down there (and I know it sounds ridiculous), but please try. They already hate us, so let’s try to play nice.

Thanks!
S——-
Media Matters for America

Guys — you may not think this is a big deal, but we happen to know that Media Research Council keeps their place neat as a fucking whistle — ‘cause you never know when Exxon’s gonna stop by to see how their money’s being spent. You think Soros wants to keep you guys afloat if you can’t pick up after yourselves?

_________________

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

####

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

20060327 MSM Plagiarism Strikes Again by Larisa Aleandrovna

MSM Plagiarism Strikes Again by Larisa Aleandrovna

March 28th, 2006

'Only a blogger'

http://pajamasmedia.com/

PJM in LA, March 27, 2006 1:39 PM

Roger Simon thinks that Larisa Alexandrovna is taking it too easy on AP. The news organization was caught plagiarizing Ms. Alexandrovna’s work.

Related PJ Entries:

Plagiarism kerfuffle at the Washington Post

Short gig

On the hill alone

Larisa Alexandrovna is a journalist, essayist and poet. She is currently managing editor of Raw Story.

MSM Plagiarism Strikes Again – AP Welcome to the Party

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larisa-alexandrovna/msm-plagiarism-strikes-ag_b_17873.html

There are many things that bother me about plagiarism, but nothing irks me more than when a mainstream reporter (or organization) with all of the resources of a small nation at their disposal lifts from the small press, freelance journalists, and bloggers.

AP vs. Raw Story

Case in Point is my article on the new guidelines for security clearances.

The process of how I put this story together is important as it provides a brief glimpse into the amount of work and time I put into this research.

I got a tip in the form of a 2005 document that was issued "quietly" out of National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley's office, in which guidelines for issuing security clearances as well as access to government information had been updated from the Clinton administration's version.

I had to contact officials at the State Department, experts at think tanks, and several intelligence agencies to find out if […]

I wondered what the two documents side by side might show and what, if any, differences there were.

[…]

In order to identify changes, I had to put the 1997 and 2005 documents side by side and go line by line, noting in a spreadsheet the text of one and the other, and then noting what the change was, if any. This was a long, tedious, and frankly boring task.

[…]

The article can be found HERE.

[…]

On March 14, 2006, the AP did their own article, left out any attribution to me or my publication and lifted not only my research but also whole sections of my article for their own (making cosmetic changes of course).

[…]

Unfortunately this is far too common and has happened to me and to other writers and bloggers far too frequently. This time, however, we made a point of tape recording the AP apparatchiks admitting to taking our work and using it without attribution, stating "we do not credit blogs".

[…]

Yet, even after the advocacy groups reminded the AP of where they got the information, the news organization would not provide attribution.

Here are again, links to both articles:

Raw Story, March 13, 2006 and AP, March 14, 2006 (mind you, this is syndicated, so the plagiarism is compounded)

PLEASE READ MORE: (28 comments) 2006, Judith Miller, Valerie Plame

Read the entire article here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larisa-alexandrovna/msm-plagiarism-strikes-ag_b_17873.html

####

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

20060109 Credit Where Its Due Online by Greg Lindsay - MediaBistro

Credit Where Its Due Online

January 9th, 2006

I’ve received the t-shirt on this issue… More when I get a chance to explain…

I read with great interest the article by Greg Lindsay – January 9, 2006 on MediaBistro: “Credit Where It's Due: Online.”

You will find it interesting also. For other posts about the phenomena of on-line journalists working hard and breaking stories or adding insight to a fast moving story; only to have the main stream media pick it up and not properly attribute the material – click on: Media Commentary MSM Give credit where credit is due

Mr. Lindsey wrote a thoughtful and lengthy analysis so be sure to click on their permalink and read the entire piece. It is obvious that he put a great deal of time and thought into what he wrote. And all of us toiling away thank him…

Credit Where It's Due: Online

When independent journalists and bloggers break news, traditional media is not always eager to attribute

By Greg Lindsay – January 9, 2006

Rafat Ali was upset. On September 20, 2005, he'd broken the story on his website, PaidContent.org, that Viacom was close to swooping up the online film and digital content company iFilm for around $50 million. PaidContent scooped the mainstream press and even the trades like Variety by hours—an eternity in the online news business.

But the next day, a brief, unbylined story appeared on The Wall Street Journal Online with news of the potential deal, attributing its information to "people familiar with the situation." The fact that the news had appeared on PaidContent hours before wasn't mentioned. Ali hit the roof.

Unlike The Wall Street Journal, PaidContent has been a one-person operation for most of its nearly four years of existence. Ali started in the site in late 2002 after stints at Inside.com and Jason Calacanis' pre-blogging ventures. Ali began covering digital content on his own, eventually building a small business that today has some support staff and a co-editor.

He'd also become sufficiently sourced up to break scoops like Viacom & iFilm, or the news back in August that Amazon intended to launch a digital music store, which, come to think of it, The Wall Street Journal also borrowed from PaidContent without attribution. After some indignant emails, the editors fixed the story. But now, a month later, WSJ had done it again.

Tired and angry, Ali posted a note on his site at two in the morning calling out Paul Steiger—the Journal's managing editor—and his top online deputies for the theft of his story. "Shame on you, Paul Steiger, Gordon Crovitz, and Bill Grueskin (and whoever edits the media section, and writes these stories)," he wrote, "…teach yourself and your journalists some ethics on crediting. Your reporter was not up till 2 AM in the night confirming and writing this...I was."

Someone was listening. The Journal's corrected its story later that day on its site with a note high in the story that read: "News of the talks was reported earlier by the Web site paidcontent.org," plus a link to the site.

I’ve already quoted too much – read the rest here: Credit Where It's Due: Online. It gets better and better…

Thank you Mr. Lindsey.

####


Friday, August 19, 2005

20050819 Lifting Material from the Blog World

20050819 Lifting Material from the Blog World

There Are Two Possibilities Here

August 19th, 2005

http://nomoremister.blogspot.com/2005/08/ok-there-are-two-possibilities-here.html

Hat Tip: http://wonkette.com/

No More Mister Nice Blog calls out Washington Times columnist John McCaslin for retailing an anecdote, sans attribution and with lightly mussed word changes, from a conservative blog Libertas.

The column concerns an incident at a film-festival screening of the Ronald Reagan vehicle The Killers, in which the audience burst out into spontaneous applause when Reagan's character was shot and killed. One can cluck--oh, can one cluck--about journalistic ethics and whatnot, but we sort of take this as a positive sign:

Clearly the professionally indignant conservative pundits are running out of things to be operatically outraged about if they're lifting ideas from blog entries about film revivals. What's next, after all? Complaints that Harry Reid's manner is curt, or that Ted Kennedy is red-complexioned and bulbous? That the peanut bags you get on airlines are hard to open?

Though we do of course look askance at the MSM's unacknowledged lifting of material from blogs. That's bloggers' work: Step off, Mr. Salaried Columnist Man! -- HOLLY MARTINS

UPDATE - - Okay _ _ I finally found it:

There Are Two Possibilities Here

[NMMNB, via Romenseko]

No More Mister Nice Blog

It's Karl Rove's world. We just live in it.

http://nomoremister.blogspot.com/2005/08/ok-there-are-two-possibilities-here.html

Thursday, August 18, 2005

OK, there are two possibilities here: either John McCaslin, the "Inside the Beltway" columnist for The Washington Times, e-mails rough drafts of some of his work to right-wing blogs and then spends a week revising the e-mailed items before putting them in the paper -- or he's not above reading such blogs and doing a little unacknowledged "borrowing."

On August 8, Libertas, the blog of the right-wing Liberty Film Festival, ran an item about a screening of The Killers, Ronald Reagan's last movie. Reagan is shot in the movie; at the screening, this shooting was cheered. The Libertas item is prefaced with "I received this email this morning from a friend of mine," then the e-mail begins:

I have a report of a bizarre, disturbing incident....

Yesterday -- nine days later -- McCaslin's column led with an item on the same incident. McCaslin's column begins:

We're here to report a rather bizarre, if not disturbing incident....

The Libertas e-mail continues:

The crowd at the screening of The Killers, on Thursday night erupted in cheers when Reagan was shot and killed. The crowd was comprised of Hollywood people – film preservationists, reviewers, scholars, researchers, actors and actresses, writers. L.A. Confidential director Curtis Hanson was also in the crowd for the movie.

McCaslin's item continues:

Well – read the entire piece here: There Are Two Possibilities Here

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