Blogging can be fatal

[Del Lord]

Here's a cautionary tale for everyone. As newspapers look to the web as their salvation, encouraging staffers to blog and file online-only content on topics both within their purview and without, how much direction are ink stained wretches getting from management. I wonder how many veteran ISWs truly understand that the same journalistic standards apply to blogs on newpaper websites as apply to their copy in the hand-held edition. Meanwhile, we chase "news" stories that surface as unfounded rumors in fan blogs.

Anyway, a pal heard about this termination in San Antonio and I checked it out. It is worth mentioning here as a warning to all in a time of buyouts and layoffs. Don't give 'em an excuse to cut payroll. Here is a piece from the Express-News Ombudsman blog. (If the poor sap in question had just put in a line like the preceding sentence, his 27-plus years on staff would not be over.)

Longtime Express-News sports staffer Harry Page was terminated Wednesday after editors confirmed he had plagiarized from other primary reporting sources at least five items from his bowling blog during the month of October.

The termination is effective immediately. Page's blog was removed from the MySA.com website Nov. 1. Page had worked in the Express-News Sports Department since April 19, 1970.

"It's a sad day when a newsroom colleague with so many, many years working at the Express-News has to leave under such a cloud, but the only way to deal with a plagiarist is with zero tolerance and an apology to readers," Express-News Editor Robert Rivard said.

 

[write then drink]

his 27-plus years on staff would not be over.)

Page had worked in the Express-News Sports Department since April 19, 1970.

37 years, actually

very sad but they're right ... no wiggle room on this crap

 

[Big Circus]

Longtime Express-News sports staffer Harry Page was terminated Wednesday after editors confirmed he had plagiarized from other primary reporting sources at least five items from his bowling blog during the month of October.

How many people have to lose their jobs before we realize that bowling coverage has gotten too big? It's eating its own, people!

Seriously, a bowling blog?

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

Story says he plagiarized Lucas Wiseman. Now that's going too far.

Not making excuses for the guy, but by literal definition a blog (or Web log) is a roundup of links to the work of others. By nature it is parasitic. I honestly don't think a lot of newspaper executives know what a blog is. They think, "Hmmmm. Blogs. The 'in' thing now. All the kids like 'em. Gotta get us some." They've become so desperate not to be left behind* that they give little thought to whether the latest fads really fit with what we do.

Maybe he got confused when he saw The Big Lead stealing all those photos and thought anything was fair game when you do a blog.

* The No Editor Left Behind Act.

 

[Some Guy]

Longtime Express-News sports staffer Harry Page was terminated Wednesday after editors confirmed he had plagiarized from other primary reporting sources at least five items from his bowling blog during the month of October.

How many people have to lose their jobs before we realize that bowling coverage has gotten too big? It's eating its own, people!

Seriously, a bowling blog?

Harry is/was a huge bowling guy. I'm sure they just gave him the blog so he'd shut up about the lack of bowling coverage in the paper.

 

[Lucas Wiseman]

I'm just now hearing about this and I'm very disappointed to say the least. Harry is a good guy and deserved a better fate. We provide him (and hundreds of other writers) with press releases almost daily. The purpose of a press release is to get media outlets to either run it or write their own story based off it. What Harry did, in my opinion, was not plagiarism because he certainly had our blessing to run these stories. Now was it in violation of the policies set in place by the San Antonio paper, I don't know.

 

[Bump_Wills]

Rivard wasn't nearly so doctrinaire when the culprit was former sports editor Mitch Krugel.

 

[Prep_desk_junkie]

bowling blog????!!!!!

 

[Joe Williams]

Rivard wasn't nearly so doctrinaire when the culprit was former sports editor Mitch Krugel.

What happened on that one? And to that guy?

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Do you mean plagiarism can be fatal?

 

[henryhenry]

his 27-plus years on staff would not be over.)

Page had worked in the Express-News Sports Department since April 19, 1970.

37 years, actually

very sad but they're right ... no wiggle room on this crap

actually, there is wiggle room.
read lucas wiseman's post.
plagiarism rarely is black and white, yet it brings out the most draconian bloodthirsty reactions in normally rational compassionate people. they act like they're guardians of some absolute morality, and get all puffed up and self-righteous. the truth is that plagiarism usually is wielded as a political weapon - they were looking for some excuse to get rid of this old guy. same as ron borges.

 

[HoopsMcCann]

i run press releases on my blog, but make sure they're clearly labeled as such and even set them apart using the quote function

 

[Bump_Wills]

Rivard wasn't nearly so doctrinaire when the culprit was former sports editor Mitch Krugel.

What happened on that one? And to that guy?

Excerpt from this link: http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?id=574

July 15. San Antonio Express-News Sports Editor Mitchell Krugel admitted to using four paragraphs from a June 19 column by Gil LeBreton, of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Krugel's piece on Tiger Woods ran June 20 with a tag line that said "wire services contributed to this report." Krugel and Editor Robert Rivard wrote apologies to readers.

 

[KuwaitLady]

DL
There are two sides two every story. One side has never been mentioned about Harry Page’s dismissal. You be the judge if this guy plagiarized or not. Please note the site was taken offline on Nov. 1, so no one could really know if the charges were correct or not. These are the stories Page supposedly plagiarized:

(The stories have been shortened).

404 Object Not Found
BowlingWhat’s going on in the alleys of San Antonio? Check back frequently to find out.
October 28, 2007
The $100,000 Rash
2ND UPDATED
(PBA LLC/Gregg Sabel photo)
(If you missed the finals of the USBC Masters, the combined stories from USBC’s Lucas Wiseman and the PBA’s Rosie Leutzinger will put you in the middle of Milwaukee’s Miller Stadium)
Wichita, Kan. bowler wins USBC Masters
By Lucas Wiseman/Rosie Leutzinger (Combined stories)
There are certain things in life that are guaranteed to happen, such as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. Sean Rash of Wichita, Kan., is trying to itch another certainty for the books as that’s not in a televised bowling finals. In his first championship round appearance in a Major and bowling for the first time in a baseball stadium, Rash showed there isn’t much that can faze him.

USBC Master: Youth bowler successful
Bowl.com
Wichita State freshman finishes in Top 24
By Matt Cannizzaro (USBC Communications)
Jake Peters of Decatur, Ill., stormed into the national spotlight and established himself as one of the top youth bowlers in the country with a win at the 2006 Teen Masters a little more than a year ago.Peters, an 18-years-old freshman at Wichita State University and an United States Bowling Congress Youth member, surprised many veterans by finishing in the top 24 at the 2007 USBC Masters in Wauwatosa, Wis.

Dorin-Ballard named to Team USA 2008
Texas resident one of seven women picked
by USBC By Kevin Hazaert
(USBC communications)
Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of North Richland Hills and Wendy Macpherson of Henderson, Nev., will represent the United States for the first time as members of Team USA 2008.Dorin-Ballard, a New Jersey native, and Macpherson were one of the two announced selections by the United States Bowling Congress Wednesday from USBC headquarters in Greendale, Wis.Also added to Team USA 2008 were Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y.; Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., Kim Terrell of Antoich, Calif.; Diandra Asbaty of Chicago, Ill.; and Missy Bellinder and Fullerton, Calif. A USBC committee selected the seven from the pool of players that included Team USA members since 1998 and former Professional Women’s Bowling Association/Ladies Professional Bowlers Tour members.

http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:XiyAstd00WIJ:blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/bowling/+%22USBC+Master:+Youth+bowler%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=ushttp://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:XiyAstd00WIJ:blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/bowling/+%22USBC+Master:+Youth+bowler%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=us

From Google search “USBC Master: Youth bowler”
http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:XiyAstd00WIJ:blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/bowling/+%22USBC+Master:+Youth+bowler%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=us

October 14, 2007
Liz Johnson wins second U.S. Open title
Both Barnes and Dorin-Ballard fall in semifinals bowl.com
By Lucas Wiseman (USBC communications)
Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., earned the top prize of $25,000 by downing Team USA’s Shannon O’Keefe of Rochester, N.Y., 248-215, in the finals of the United States Bowling Congress’ (USBC) 2007 U.S. Women’s Open Sunday (Oct. 14) at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev.
“Once I stepped out on the lanes, I felt aggressive and focused,” Johnson told USBC communications officials. “I really haven’t felt that good in a very long time and I think it showed on the lanes today (Sunday).

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/bowling/archives/2007/10/liz_johnson_win_1.html

I’ve heard of putting an "old horse" out to pasture, but this certainly wasn't a "loyal" way to do it. The accusations seem unfair.

 

[budcrew08]

Personally, it sounds like a sorry excuse for a company to drop a 40-year salary to bring in some new guy right out of school to make 1/6 of what this man was making.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

When the **** is unedited, it is ****ing potentially lethal.

 

[KuwaitLady]

Editing isn't the question. Stealing someone's material and making it appear as one's own is. And, as far as I have researched, Page properly attributed his sources for the material he used on his bowling blog.

 

[Tom Petty]

I'm just now hearing about this and I'm very disappointed to say the least. Harry is a good guy and deserved a better fate. We provide him (and hundreds of other writers) with press releases almost daily. The purpose of a press release is to get media outlets to either run it or write their own story based off it. What Harry did, in my opinion, was not plagiarism because he certainly had our blessing to run these stories. Now was it in violation of the policies set in place by the San Antonio paper, I don't know.

i rarely agree with anything you post, but it was nice of you to put your name behind that.

 

[chazp]

Personally, it sounds like a sorry excuse for a company to drop a 40-year salary to bring in some new guy right out of school to make 1/6 of what this man was making.

That's what I was thinking.

 

[Mr. Homer]

Time to work on that 300