One session I often present at JEA/NSPA conventions is titled, “That’s not plagiaism! Or is it?” The description continues: “The Internet provides journalists with tons of information, along with substantial legal and ethical dilemmas. Learn what you can use from the Web and how attribution is the key for some items but not others. This session will also cover how evaluating organizations are cracking down on plagiarism in contests.”

Those who attend are always quick to define the term. They KNOW turning in someone else’s work and saying it is their own doesn’t cut it. BUT….they are often skeptical when my definitions have a bit more detail like the following:

“… Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the knowing or intentional failure to attribute language or ideas to their original source, in the manner required by the academic discipline (such as … footnote citations …) or in the manner required by journalism practice (such as by quotation marks and attribution in a journalistic presentation)….” That was from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism Policy of Academic Integrity.

Failure to attribute? Language or ideas? Hmmmm. That’s a little broader than most of them thought.

And perhaps it’s broader than the definition of journalist and author Gerald Posner, until recently with The Daily Beast online news site. When Jack Shafer on Slate.com called him to task for five sentences that Posner admitted “met the definition of plagiarism,” and when further checking revealed more of the same, Posner decided to resign.

In his blog post explaining this, he calls it “accidental plagiarism” and cites his information-gathering techniques and the need to produce articles quickly as the culprits. “[I]n the quick turnaround I then obviously lost sight of the fact that [materials in the master files] belonged to a published source instead of being something I wrote.”

Reading Shafer’s and Posner’s posts about this can offer some good insight and that teachable moment for student journalists. What DOES need to be attributed? How can a journalist include such attribution? Are there note-taking tips that can ensure they don’t “forget” something wasn’t their own words or ideas?

Accidents may happen….but not THIS kind and not in YOUR publication.