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Should I feel any guilt whatsoever?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by RedCanuck, Oct 22, 2008.

  1. RedCanuck

    RedCanuck Active Member

    I was casually surfing the web the other day looking for information on a player in the league I cover, when I notice portions of a story I wrote were plagiarized under the byline of a reporter I know. I sent an e-mail to the editor of the paper basically saying I had concerns about the article and wanted a printed acknowledgement it came from our paper.

    They investigate and decide to let the reporter go. He e-mails me, thanking me for getting him fired, asking who is hurt more - me having a few words ripped off, or him losing the job. Says I should have talked to him man-to-man. My reply was basically that it was his actions that got him where he is and I never directly asked them to fire him (though if one of my reporters did it, I'm sure I'd have been going there too).

    Did I handle this okay?
     
  2. Monday Morning Sportswriter

    Monday Morning Sportswriter Well-Known Member

    Well, no, unless you wrote that story as a freelancer, you probably should have gone to your boss first and let your company handle it, since it's their property.

    But feel guilty, no? Tell him: don't do the crime if you can't do the time.
     
  3. CM Punk

    CM Punk Guest

    He was too lazy to do his own work, cheated and got caught, so fuck him.
     
  4. RedCanuck

    RedCanuck Active Member

    I am the one in our company who would normally be handling this sort of situation (barring the need for a solicitor to take legal action) regardless of who wrote the original piece as I'm the editor of our paper.
     
  5. Frank_Ridgeway

    Frank_Ridgeway Well-Known Member

    You handled it OK. I'm not sure why the other paper's editor needed to say it was you who who brought it to their attention. It was either plagiarism or it wasn't. The source of the complaint is irrelevant, in my opinion.
     
  6. zebracoy

    zebracoy Guest

    Of course you'll feel guilt. However, as stated, it's not your fault he yanked your material. The recourse is part of the deal.
     
  7. jlee

    jlee Well-Known Member

    It's right there on page 1 of "How to Keep Your Job as a Journalist": Don't plagiarize.

    You're in the right no matter how much "man-to-man" communication he thinks he's entitled to.
     
  8. JakeandElwood

    JakeandElwood Well-Known Member

    I guess anyone would feel some guilt, but it's not something you should feel. He ripped you off, and you have the right to protect your work. A plagiarist risks his/her job every time plagiarism occurs.
     
  9. HejiraHenry

    HejiraHenry Well-Known Member

    Well put.
     
  10. None whatsoever
     
  11. silentbob

    silentbob Member

    Had that happened to me, I would've emailed/called/approached the person first, and told him that if he ever did something like that again, I'd contact his boss.

    But you had every right to do what you did.
     
  12. greenlantern

    greenlantern Guest

    What a slackass. Job security barely exists anymore and he's plagiarizing? If he pulls that man-to-man shit again, then tell him a real man doesn't steal other people's work. He got exactly what he deserved. Fuck 'em.
     
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