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Jill Abramson doesn't record interviews thanks to almost photographic memory

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Alma, Feb 5, 2019.

  1. typefitter

    typefitter Well-Known Member

    There's an interesting Abramson storm on Twitter right now. A writer named Ian Frisch is claiming that she plagiarized him, and the mob is forming. But somewhere deep in the thread, someone has pointed out that she cites him repeatedly in her footnotes. I honestly don't know where I fall on it. She lifts quotes and slightly paraphrases passages—they're probably too close to the original—but then credits Frisch in the notes. It's a little 1990s university term paper-ish to me, and I wouldn't do it, but I'm not sure it's pure plagiarism.


     
  2. Junkie

    Junkie Well-Known Member

    Though perhaps not as lofty, status-wise, as the likes of Lupica, Albom or Reilly, or anyone else who may or may not flat out make up stuff from time to time to make their copy better, this person's ego is every bit as enormous. Was a bummer for me, too. It's someone I admired prior to that. Never meet your heroes, etc.
     
  3. typefitter

    typefitter Well-Known Member

    Add: The Malooley lift is a purer form of plagiarism. Like, cited or not, this is indisputably plagiarism.

     
  4. CD Boogie

    CD Boogie Well-Known Member

    See, the revered writer would have taken that opportunity of the overhearte
    does he represent the lollypop guild?
     
  5. CD Boogie

    CD Boogie Well-Known Member

    Sports figures seem to accede to that abuse more readily than average figures. Like they buy into the hype of a winner or loser more than someone, say, applying for a zoning variance. That was my experience; that even when they lost, sports figures were willing to relinquish the narrative, because everything was so black and white in some regards. As Parcells said, your record is what it says it is. And I think — crossthread — that bleeds into how people judge people like Tom Flores as it pertains to his HOF case, which is weighed down by his record with Seattle.

    That’s a really base perspective that lacks nuance, and yet most people don’t want nuance. Rick Gosselin is an exception. I think Peter King is actually emblematic of it. One is lesser known and yet abides by an understanding that is not mainstream; while the other is ubiquitous and a parrot of the masses. Everything Peter King prosthelytizes is crowd-sourced.
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2019
    justgladtobehere likes this.
  6. SoloFlyer

    SoloFlyer Well-Known Member

    Yup, absolutely plagiarism.

    Besides Abramson having the gall to do this, how does this stuff slip past the editors?
     
    RonClements likes this.
  7. CD Boogie

    CD Boogie Well-Known Member

    The more I think about it, such foolery. She was begging for people to call her out on her sourcing when she is claiming a photographic memory. Or prompting people to pile on or summon ancillary incidents that don’t serve her well. Hubris, I’ve been undone by it at junctures as well.
     
    RonClements likes this.
  8. Azrael

    Azrael Well-Known Member

    Books are not routinely fact-checked.
     
  9. Azrael

    Azrael Well-Known Member

    The worst examples of which are some of the 'nonfiction' giants, like Mitchell and Capote.

    I can understand getting away with in 1950 or 1960 or even 1970. Information was harder to check.

    Not sure how it happens in 2019.

    If you're the subject of the story, and the writer pipes a quote, why wouldn't you complain about it publicly?
     
  10. LanceyHoward

    LanceyHoward Well-Known Member

    What did Capote do? Was it for "In Cold Blood"? DO you have a link. I believe you, I just want to see what he did since I read "In Cold Blood"
     
  11. Azrael

    Azrael Well-Known Member

  12. Old Crank

    Old Crank Active Member

    I have no idea what is in Abramson's contract with her publisher but in my experience every book contract has a clause that says the author guarantees the work is original.
     
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