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Plagiarized by a press release

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Babs, Jun 30, 2009.

  1. Babs

    Babs Member

    I post this mostly for commiseration, but also have a question.

    So I was plagiarized by a team today, who copied a couple paragraphs I had written on a player and slapped it into a press release. It's not a team I deal with personally so I don't know these people. I called them on it via email, they apologized and corrected it on their own website. But I think they now owe my outlet, in a broad sense. What kind of chit would be reasonable to call in later on? Exclusive interview with the GM? More?

    I don't want to say the level as it would give too much away. But it's not HS or college.
     
  2. tapintoamerica

    tapintoamerica Well-Known Member

    My advice: Don't be terribly frank about it. Soft-sell it. The PR people should figure it out.
     
  3. ringer

    ringer Active Member

    IMO, all they owed you was a correction and a promise not to plagiarize you again.

    I don't think it goes broader than that.
     
  4. Joe Williams

    Joe Williams Well-Known Member

    Just funnin' here, but I don't want to be writing anything that the team I cover would be willing to put in a press release. ;)

    Come to think of it, though, even in a generally flattering profile of a player, why would that end up in a press release? And if it was just fact-based stuff, does that rise to the level of plagiarism?
     
  5. 93Devil

    93Devil Well-Known Member

    Rat them out to their boss and apply for their job.
     
  6. mediaguy

    mediaguy Well-Known Member

    Were you expecting to get like a gift certificate for this chit? "Entitles the bearer to one (1) exclusive interview with the General Manager. Expires August 31, 2009." I think the leverage you've gained is best left unspoken ...
     
  7. Babs

    Babs Member

    It was very hard-to-find description of the player's play. No one else had anything on him, thus the needs to steal ours. It was more than just basic facts, though they copy and pasted that part too, just for good bad measure.

    I don't see much of what they have that we're interested in anyway, now that I look harder at their roster.
    Hopefully the bad karma will do its job.
     
  8. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    They apologized and fixed? Move on, if this is something that hasn't been a habit. They'll remember and take care of you but if you try to "call it in," you might get an F you.
    Now, if it happens again, that's a whole nuther issue.
     
  9. henryhenry

    henryhenry Member

    how come when a reporter 'plagiarizes' everybody on this board demands his head, i.e, immediate dismissal.

    but when a PR person does it, well, the reaction is so much more muted. why aren't people in high dudgeon, screaming sanctimoniously? what's with the double standard?
     
  10. Babs

    Babs Member

    I was surprised by the reaction as well. Personally I find it more offensive because usually PR folk are less "off the street".
     
  11. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    Because PR people aren't journalists.

    Being a journalist means you are responsible to uphold a code of ethics. If you aren't a journalist, that code doesn't apply to you.
     
  12. mediaguy

    mediaguy Well-Known Member

    I'm with Rick. I'm more likely to believe a PR type who says they didn't realize the severity of what they'd done.
     
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