A producer at CBS News has been fired after plagiarizing from the Wall Street Journal for a video essay on "Couric & Co.," the Katie Couric/group blog on the CBS News website. AP reports the essay was removed and an editor's note has been placed on the site. We searched the blog in question -- and the entire site -- and weren't initially able to locate it, which was frustrating. Then we found it and a bit of explanation via the CBS Public Eye blog:
Correction: The April 4 Notebook was based on a "Moving On" column by Jeffrey Zaslow that ran in The Wall Street Journal on March 15 with the headline, "Of the Places You'll Go, Is the Library Still One of Them?" Much of the material in the Notebook came from Mr. Zaslow, and we should have acknowledged that at the top of our piece. We offer our sincere apologies for the omission.
There are obvious problems with this. First, it's labeled as an editor's note at the top of the post and then noted as a correction in the body. These are very different things. Which is it? Also, if this was a firing offense, the editor's note/correction should explain the disciplinary action taken. This is a case of plagiarism, not omission. That's why the producer was fired. CBS should speak in plain terms and offer more explanation.
Finally, the editor's note was put online on April 9, yet the editor's note/correction is dated April 4. This is likely to replace the offending post, which appeared on the 4th. But back-dating the post means it wasn't on the front page of the blog on the day it appeared. The result is that visitors who saw the original essay are less likely to come upon this important information.
It's good to see the Public Eye blog make note of this incident. But it appears that CBS execs aren't willing to offer any further explanation. "Mike Sims, director of News and Operations for CBSNews.com, declined to comment about the specifics of the matter," wrote Public Eye editor Brian Montopoli. He then quotes Sims saying, "The Editor's Note speaks for itself." Yet Sims was happy to offer comment for a different Public Eye post the day before. This (lack of) exchange seems contrary to the stated purpose of Public Eye:
Public Eye’s fundamental mission is to bring transparency to the editorial operations of CBS News — transparency that is unprecedented for broadcast and online journalism.
CBS News execs should be required to offer an explanation to Public Eye. Strangely, the AP story gets quotes and details not offered to Public Eye. This undercuts the importance and efficacy of Public Eye, which should be of concern to CBS.
Let's hope this incident will inspire CBS to create an online corrections page and policy. We asked Public Eye a little over a year ago about the lack of one and were told by a CBS online exec -- the same Mike Sims -- that it was being considered and they were "trying to find the best way" to create one. We suggest taking a look at what ESPN did to create a cross-platform corrections policy and online page.
From AP:
A CBS News producer was fired and the network apologized after a Katie Couric video essay on libraries was found to be plagiarized from The Wall Street Journal...
An editor for The Wall Street Journal called CBS News to point out the similarities of the April 4 notebook item to Zaslow’s article, headlined “Of the Places You’ll Go, Is the Library Still One of Them?” The pieces talk about how libraries are seen differently by children from their parents.
“We were horrified,” CBS News spokeswoman Sandra Genelius said. “It was almost verbatim.”
CBS would not identify the producer fired for the transgression.
