Hey, that's my work!

Are journalists as smart as middle school writers? In most cases, one would answer 'yes' to this question. However, Yahoo journalists must think plagiarism is an okay thing to do. The story Yahoo "reported" on about Le Bron James' new home has plagiarism written all over it.

The Akron Beacon Journal reports that paragraphs have been lifted from their reporting almost word for word. Also, interviews with Le Bron's neighbors, who said they've had no contact with Yahoo reporters, have been mimicked as well. The first sign of skepticism occurred when it was noted the Akron Beach Journal reported their story on last Tuesday, with another paper writing about the same story Wednesday, and lastly, Yahoo published "its version" of the story on Thursday. Akron Beach Journal doesn't have a problem with the other newspaper because they actually worked for their information and reported the story in a more professional manner than Yahoo.

Isn't plagiarism one of the first things taught to students at the beginning level of writing? Don't teachers threaten students with major consequences if they're caught plagiarizing or if their work even remotely resembles words directly from a text? Then why in the world would adults with the supposed profession of a journalist try to nip a corner and steal hard earned work by someone else? There must be a major misunderstanding of what is included in proper online journalism ethics.

According to the document of Ethics of Online Journalism, "No plagiarism" is the first item on the list. If you're going to borrow someones information then it is required to refer to the original source by attaching a link or give a name of the individual/group who published the information first. Number two on the list is "Disclose", which means you have to tell how you got your information. Most importantly, Yahoo completely obliterated the "Be honest" guideline. If people wonder about your honesty, you lose credibility. I'd say after this case, Yahoo has earned a free pass to a long stay in hot boiling water.