Wednesday, May. 27, 2009

PI blogger looks at broadcast news plagiarism

By Ken Robertson, Herald Executive Editor

A seattlepi.com blogger has taken a broader look at the issue of radio and TV broadcasters’ plagiarism of newspaper news reports after seeing my April 30 column.

Linda Thomas called me a few days after the column ran on the Herald’s website. She told me the way broadcast newscasters routinely steal material from newspapers and then use it without credit has also disturbed her for years.

And she admits she did it herself early in her career when she worked for KIRO radio. But in her blog, Thomas notes she came to believe that simply rewriting a news item into broadcast style “is plagiarism and I won’t do it.”

As I write this item, her blog has drawn 18 comments from folks who include newspaper reporters, broadcast executives, teachers and “just a curious news consumer.” None of the commenters so far supports or defends the practice.

Nor has anyone who has commented on my original piece, in which I called for those who rewrite others’ news reports to credit the source.

But I think Thomas’ question about plagiarism — “As a news consumer, do you care where stations or papers get their stories?” — is worth repeating and would welcome your thoughts.

w Ken Robertson: 582-1520; krobertson@tricityherald.com

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