Is this unethical?

Yeah, that's bad. Had something similar happen here with a university info departmemt. They lifted one of our stories on a swim meet (turns out the coach called us and not them). No attribution. They stil take our stuff from time to time, but they put our names and "from The Podunk Press" at the top.

 

if that was at a group press conference and everybody had access, then it's fair game. but sounds like the second writer wasn't there.

through the years, i've had sports information types not even put a tape recorder out or take down notes at a press conference they've set up, then corner us for the damn quotes so they can be used for their releases. sure, they were at the same press conference as we were, but that's just freakin' lazy.

 

But sometimes the setting of something needs clarifying, and you can't say "told me." So what are you supposed to do?

 

They're on notice. They take any more of my stuff, either it's attributed properly or my lawyer gets a(nother) phone call.

And after reading your clarification, CCaple? Far as I'm concerned, it absolutely fits the definition of plagiarism.

 

I agree that's not cool, but I find it far more jarring when people write "this reporter" when they're referring to themselves.

There've been times when I've gotten something no one else had. If I do, I write it as "So and so told [name of media outlet]."

 

okay, here's one for you. i've been in this business a good while, but can't recall last time i saw a story where the writer quoted somebody and did it with this type of approach:


"..........................," John Jocksniffer told me. "............................"


Told me?
Is that kosher or a new style I've missed of late.
Now this is in a general story, about a football team getting ready to start spring training and the writer is interviewing a player.

 

John Jocksniffer was obviously talking to Peter King, because he uses that all the time.

 

I thought Peter King WAS a Jocksniffer.

 

That might depend on the publication. I used to work for an outlet that would use "told us" when a source spoke to us exclusively about something.

I still don't think "told me" passes muster. "Told this reporter" is like fingernails scraping a chalk board.

It's "said" people. You say he said, she said.

 

forever_town....the "told me" doesn't pass muster with me. maybe, and even then it's somewhat of a stretch, it might would work in a blog or column.
but this was a simple, regular, every day type of story on the football beat. it just really threw up that ol' "green light" when i read the quote from the coach and it had "..told me...."

 

You guys had me at "buttfucker."