Nov 20, 2005 4:14 pm US/Central
North Texan Resigns After Plagiarism Questions
by Jay Gormley
(CBS 11 News)
Educators and experts agree it's o.k. for journalists to be inspired by others writing, but not to copy it. Problems with reporters not doing their own work have occurred at two national papers and now at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The paper says T-V columnist Ken Parish Perkins copied verbatim from other publications and has resigned.
Under a small headline which reads..."to our readers", the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that one of its own journalists stepped down following allegations of plagiarism. The resignation of Ken Parish Perkins ended his nine year career as a TV critic with the Star-Telegram.
Columnist Bob Ray Sanders spoke of Perkins professionally and personally, "He's more than a colleague, he's a friend. So I am going to be supportive without a doubt." Sanders, who has been a journalist for more than 30 years, went on to say that plagiarism is the one thing that he can never condone. The Star-Telegram writer says the scandal has left the paper down, but not out.
Southern Methodist University journalism chair Tony Pederson says similar scandals at the New York Times and USA Today continue to chip away at the public's perception of the media. Pederson says right now, "There really is a media crisis that is going on in terms of ethics.
Pederson says the internet has made it easier for journalists to copy someone else's work. That's why many newspapers across the county now use computer software to weed out plagiarism. In fact, the Star-Telegram reported that it used software called ithenticate. The technology compares a reporter's work with millions of other articles found in all-types of publications.
Many other newsrooms across the country have ways of checking for plagiarism. Editors will randomly pick an article, then cross check to make sure the sources are real and that the information and facts are accurate.
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
