From a Poynter Online story this afternoon:
[Updated at 3:19 p.m. ET.] The error happened, General Manager Allan Horlick told Poynter by phone today, when “an assignment editor saw the piece in the Post and cut and pasted the body of the information into an email” that was then sent to Web producer Ashley Jennings, who thought it was a press release to be rewritten and published on WUSA9.com.
My original post: WUSA is in the process of removing a story from its website after receiving inquiries about whether portions of it were taken from a Washington Post piece on the same subject.
The CBS affiliate in Washington published the story yesterday about Fairfax City Mayor Robert Lederer's resignation three hours after Post reporter Tom Jackman's story was published.
Several paragraphs appear verbatim in both stories, Poynter says.
As I post this, however, the WUSA story remains on the station's website.
[Updated at 3:19 p.m. ET.] The error happened, General Manager Allan Horlick told Poynter by phone today, when “an assignment editor saw the piece in the Post and cut and pasted the body of the information into an email” that was then sent to Web producer Ashley Jennings, who thought it was a press release to be rewritten and published on WUSA9.com.
My original post: WUSA is in the process of removing a story from its website after receiving inquiries about whether portions of it were taken from a Washington Post piece on the same subject.
The CBS affiliate in Washington published the story yesterday about Fairfax City Mayor Robert Lederer's resignation three hours after Post reporter Tom Jackman's story was published.
Several paragraphs appear verbatim in both stories, Poynter says.
As I post this, however, the WUSA story remains on the station's website.
Stop the presses!
ReplyDeleteThis seems like the normal kind of sloppiness that happens every so often in any newsroom.
Sorry but doesn't seem a big deal.
The problem is the copy and paste mentality. Since WUSA admitted it was an internal e-mail, the web producer would have less reason to question the source. Assignment editor should be held accountable.
ReplyDeleteThis shows the new non-journalistic tren in newsrooms where copy is treated like an image. As noted above, just cut and paste. Who cares where it came from or what it says.
ReplyDeleteAs a DC resident, WUSA is just a hopeless mess. Too many layoffs. Those left are mostly young, paid cheaply and overwhelmed.
ReplyDelete"This shows the new non-journalistic tren in newsrooms where copy is treated like an image."
ReplyDeleteThat is not a new trend. And by not resisting this "trend," journalists have ensured their demise.
Oh please 7:22 what would a non employee who doesn't have a friend or relative working at the station know about what goes on at WUSA? I live here and I don't know a thing about what goes on at the other local stations. Your bias is so obvious.
ReplyDeleteThe real issue here is that Gannett and other news orgs are hiring inexperienced 20-somethings and not providing them with any real training or mentorship. I started in the news business at age 21, but at the time I worked for editors who were incredible sticklers for accuracy, style, ethics and reporting, and they took time to work with me until I really got it. That just doesn't happen now.
ReplyDeleteI live in dc and dont need to know about the inner workings at WUSA to tell you this once great news operation is by far the worst in Washington. Shallow reporting, young (or clueless) on air talent. Even the illusve chemistry is missing from the news anchors. No wonder they are consistently last in the ratings.
ReplyDeleteAm in the DC area as well and never watch this station for local news.
ReplyDeleteBoy some real ageism here. You were young once.
ReplyDeleteBut not as dumb as today's younger crowd, 7:09.
ReplyDeleteCase in point: A study showed Facebook access at work beat out things such as salary on the wish lists of today's applicants.
Wow 7:12 that's both harsh and bitter.
ReplyDeleteIt's not ageism to point out inexperienced people have a higher risk of making big mistakes. But people keep responding with that when this issue comes up, and they keep missing the point.
ReplyDeleteGood point 9:55 but when you use age as your omly point it is. It works both ways. I know some experienced folks that are too slow to catch a cold. They hate change and refuse to try new things. To try and fail is not a problem. To refuse to try.....big problem.
ReplyDeleteWe're talking about experience affecting mistakes, 1:04. Just saying "experienced people make them, too" isn't much of an argument for the ageism claim.
ReplyDelete