How to Avoid Plagiarism in Journalism

How to Avoid Plagiarism in Journalism Weve all heard about plagiarism in one field or another. It seems like every other week there are stories about students, writers, historians, and songwriters plagiarizing the work of others. But, most disturbingly for journalists, there have been a number of high-profile cases in recent years of plagiarism by reporters. For instance, in 2011 Kendra Marr, a transportation reporter for Politico was forced to resign after her editors discovered at least seven stories in which shed lifted material from articles in competing news outlets. Marrs editors got wind of what was happening from a New York Times reporter who alerted them to similarities between his story and one Marr had done. Marrs story serves as a cautionary tale for young journalists. A recent graduate of Northwestern Universitys journalism school, Marr was a rising star who had already worked at The Washington Post before moving to Politico in 2009. The problem is, the temptation to plagiarize is greater than ever because of the Internet, which places a seemingly infinite amount of information just a mouse-click away. But the fact that plagiarism is easier means reporters must be more vigilant in guarding against it. So what do you need to know to avoid plagiarism in your reporting? Lets define the term. What Is Plagiarism? Plagiarism means claiming someone elses work is your own by putting it in your story without attribution or credit. In journalism, plagiarism can take several forms: Information: This involves using information that another reporter has gathered without crediting that information to the reporter or to his or her publication. An example would be a reporter who uses specific details about a crime - say, the color of a murder victims shoes - in his story that comes, not from the police, but from an article done by another reporter.Writing: If a reporter writes a story in a particularly distinctive or unusual way, and another reporter copies passages from that story into his own article, thats an example of plagiarizing writing.Ideas: This occurs when a journalist, usually a columnist or news analyst, advances a novel idea or theory about an issue in the news, and another reporter copies that idea. Avoiding Plagiarism So how do you avoid plagiarizing another reporters work? Do Your Own Reporting: The easiest way to avoid plagiarism is by doing your own reporting. That way you avoid the temptation to steal information from another reporters story, and youll have the satisfaction of producing work that is entirely your own. But what if another reporter gets a scoop, a juicy bit of information that you dont have? First, try to get the information yourself. If that fails...Give Credit Where Credit Is Due: If another reporter digs up a piece of information you cant get on your own, then you must attribute that information to that reporter or, more commonly, to the news outlet that reporter works for.Check Your Copy: Once youve written your story, read it several times to make sure you havent used any information that isnt your own. Remember, plagiarism is not always a conscious act. Sometimes it can creep into your story without your even being aware of it, simply by using information that youve read on a website or in a newspaper. Go over the facts in your story and ask yourself: Did I gather this myself?