The Business of Blogging: Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due
by Elana Centor

Francine McKenna says she is mad as Hell. McKenna has a blog called Re:The Auditors, A couple of weeks ago she was doing an analysis of key word searches and spotted a trend. In one day the following searches showed up.

deloitte is firing people auditors blog
deloitte laid off
deloitte lay off
deloitte lay offs
deloitte layoffs
deloitte layoffs san francisco
deloitte rif
deloitte severance package
deloitte starting salary low

With the chops of a seasoned reporter, McKenna knew she had a hot story.  She wrote about it on August 25th,  two weeks later, the main stream media caught up with the story but in their reports, they didn't attribute any of their information to McKenna's story.

Now... I am used to breaking stories early from abroad and then seeing them in mainstream US media much later.  That happened with the EY non-US merger story, for example.
But I am not going to get used to two reputable publications, who are very aware of this blog, are very aware of blogs, and are surely aware of my posts, so completely ignoring me.
My story on Augut 25th, "Is Deloitte The Perfect Firm?" broke the news of the layoffs and was 100% accurate.  My subsequent followup with Deborah Harrington of Deloitte was done August 28.  That's almost two weeks ago!   These layoffs started the week before Labor Day!  
In the meantime, my followup post, which included the statements that Compliance Week and the NYT Deal Blog reprinted was posted in this blog on August 29th.  That post, "Update - Deloitte Statement on Layoffs " has received voluminous comments.  If the New York Times and Compliance Week had read those comments they would see that many of the people who have been affected by Deloitte "layoffs" are very angry and have a story to tell. 

Last July, Michelle Anderson wrote about the friction between bloggers and journalists in a piece called The Ups, Downs of Reaching Out To Bloggers.
 In that piece Anderson quotes Howard Witt, the southwest bureau chief of the Chicago Tribune who says he has changed his writing approach. According to the article, Witt said in the past he used to make sure the stories he wrote gained exposure in the paper and Chicago Tirbune website.

"Now he's concentrating on writing his stories quickly and having tehm blasted all over the blogosphere."

However, Witt’s interest in blogs is not a reflection of how all journalists feel. While some journalists like Witt maintain an e-mail list of bloggers to whom they can send their work, other journalists think of bloggers as narcissists rambling in front of their computer screens.

Some journalists have a “superiority complex” about their craft and view themselves as the gatekeepers of reporting information and amplifying a story, according to Witt. Therefore, they often times miss out on story ideas available on blogs, and the opportunity to have their stories posted on multiple sites, guaranteeing a wider readership.

The first piece I wrote for the Chicago Tribune's business section was a story about professional book club moderators. A few weeks later a friend of mine said she heard my story on NPR. Sure enough a reporter had read my story, then interviewed the folks that I interviewed and created her own piece. Did I get any attribution for the original piece? Of course not.

Should I have? That's debatable. The NPR reporter did interview the people I had talked to but she also did original work. This was in the days before blogging and before  hat tipping cowgirl_linda_winking_ty_clr became part of protocol for acknowledging sources. At the time I was a bit steamed that I had done all the leg work and they just took my story and converted it without so much as a mention.

McKenna is not the only person unhappy this week with unattributed information. Peter Kim is less than pleased with Michael Gass at social media today. Gass has a headline that says "50 Companies Using Social Media Marketing."

Peter Kim took exception with the list. In the comment section, Kim said,

Michael - you seem to have stolen this list straight from my blog.  It's pretty clear from the formatting.  The information is public - care to explain why you didn't include any attribution in your post?

Kim wrote his list on September 3,2008 and he provides 73 credit links for every source he used to create the list

Perhaps Michael Gass has been following the advice of Ryan M. Healy who says Don't Give Attribution When It's Not Necessary.

All that you are and all that you think is a collection of everything you’ve ever heard, read, or experienced.
Which means you could probably attribute every word you write to somebody

For instance, my views on life go back to a series of teachers starting with my parents.
Do I need to give my parents and all my teachers attribution every time I write about something?
No. I don’t.
That’s why, if you already know something as a fact, avoid giving attribution. To do so steals your authority and transfers it to the person you’re giving attribution to.

Healy goes on to say if you are quoting someone verbatim you need to give attribution.

So did Michael Gass plagiarize Peter Kim's list? Should the mainstream media have given Francine McKenna credit for breaking the Deloitte layoff story?

If someone steals your content do you go after them?

Elana writes about business culture at FunnyBusiness

Submitted by Elana Centor (view blog) on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 8:33am

Comments

 

Writers don't want to draw attention away
from themselves

I freelance as well as blog, and I'm truly amazed at how many people buy my articles, with sources provided, and fail to use them when they post it.  I always provide sources for lists especially.   When searching for duplicate posts on my own articles with lists, you'd be shocked how many times I find my lists cut and pasted with no attribution.  You don't even have to link to me!  Just use my blog as a source.  I'm not picky, but don't flat out steal it and then get huffy when I point it out!

I have pretty much given up joining writer's forums, because there are so many really nasty people who will make comments like "You're a blogger, right? So why are you here?"  or one particularly snide remark when I asked a question, "Bloggers aren't writers. Go back to your fantasy land and leave us alone."

We aren't considered journalists, yet most major journalistic sources now have bloggers on staff, because they realize how important they are, and how people today long for a personal view of the issues of the day.

As far as attribution, my only consolation is that I am doing the right thing, and I won't be the one who gets caught plagiarizing.

 

Submitted by CGardener on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 11:03
 

Complaining about lists?

I worked at a major publisher of reference books in my past.  There never has been any attribution for compilations of lists unless it was a major publisher who might get ornery in court.  (They wouldn't win in the US, but it would be expensive.)  Facts are simply not copyrightable.  Facts are normally only attributed if you want to lend credence - or lessen credence - of a bit of information.

 As to other types of attribution?  You have no way of knowing how long someone has "sat" on a story. Writers do not control what is published - that is a senior editor or publisher's call.  The mark of a real professional is to not get jealous, rather, to take a new approach to the same subject matter.  There is nothing new under the sun and the sooner some self-important journalists and bloggers figure this out, the better.  (Both are guilty of thinking that they are original when they aren't.)

Honestly, there is plagiarism, but most of what I see bloggers / designers / journalists / etc. complaining about is nothing more than an exercise in narcissism.  

MLO / Melissa

Submitted by MLOKnitting on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 12:03
 

Should there be a listing of repeat
offenders?

 I'm not a big fan of public humiliation but.... if someone buys and article and then does not attribute sources I think they should be given a chance to rectify and apologize, If  they don't there should be a list of blogs/websites/whatevers that wantonly ..to use Peter Kim's term-- "steal" material.

Then, if you want to sell your material to that organization you can do it knowing all the facts.However, if you are blogging professionally then I think its really important to make sure others aren't parading your work, as theirs.

 

 

 

 

elana
Blogher Contributing Editor,Business&CareersFunnyBusiness

Submitted by Elana Centor on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 12:50
 

Is it old media values at work?

Honestly, I cannot think of many journalist pieces that actually credit other journalists, unless (1) they are on the same payroll or (2) won public recognition (awards). Anecdotal, not scientific observation. But since linking in posts is a practice that came out of much cultivation and encouragement over the years, and draws more from academic practice than journalism, maybe we're mistaken to expect journalists to live up to the same standards?

Laura Scott, BlogHer Contributing Editor, Tech/Web
design, snap, blog, tweet

Submitted by Laura Scott on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 14:27
 

Annoyed...

but before I go there, am currently working with Deloitte staffers on a project through at least February, so at least ten or so are ok. :)

On the non-attribution.  I ran into this today, an alert blogger sent a note that my fiction writings were being reproduced elsewhere, and he was unsure if I'd given permission.

Um, no, I had not. Now it would not bother me if it were reproduced - providing a proper link back and attribution were given. I don't think that is too much to ask, really.

It bothers me that this particular site has the gall to run a copyright statement at the bottom of the blog, when I doubt there is any original content on the thing.

As do we all, I pour my heart and soul into that writing. To those out there (who likely never come within a country mile of blogher) please don't reproduce my work as your own.  

 

 

nelle

&

llhaesa

Submitted by nelle2nelle on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 14:34
 

Anecdotally, Broadcast better at attribution
than print

 

 I do think its rare for print media to refer to work done by other
sources but in broadcast you'll often hear them saying, according to
Reuters  and I have even heard them crediting bloggers.

I just think attributing sources is professional, ethical and honest and should be a practice that we all use and it is something we should expect.

 

elana
Blogher Contributing Editor,Business&CareersFunnyBusiness

Submitted by Elana Centor on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 15:09
 

What's so difficult about attribution?

My initial reaction when I stumbled across the list on SMT was, "wow, what a coincidence - I just published a list like this."  When I clicked through to read the post, it was clear to me that the list had been plagiarized, by its familiar content and formatting.  I wanted to get a better understanding of the author and found that he has two graduate degrees - making lack of citation even more disconcerting.  In addition to leaving a comment on SMT, I left a comment on the original post on the author's blog, sent a message on Twitter, sent him an email, and tried to contact him by phone.  Within ten minutes, the original post had been deleted from his site and replaced with an apology and explanation, and later the same was up on SMT.  To answer the question in your post, yes - the list was plagiarized and the proof is public in the apology.

But really.  Is highlighting a piece of text and including a hyperlink really that difficult?  If Gass had just included one in his original post, that would've been fine with me.  115 other bloggers who linked to the post seemed to have no problem including a link.

Coincidentally, both Ryan Healy and Gass's "research assistant" are both much closer to their university days than I am.  Maybe this internet thing has changed the rules of attribution and I haven't adapted yet.

Submitted by peterkim on Mon, 09/15/2008 - 06:46
 

Linking & Attribution Benefits Everyone

I just don't get it. As a blogger, I find a vast amount of inspiration from the Web, other bloggers, and sometimes just plain Google searches when I am interested in a topic and want to know what else is out there. I find my readers expect NOT to have a static article, preferring a dynamic piece where they can click through to more information as needed. Think your parents' use of the Encyclopedia vs. your use of Wikipedia.

Not only are attributions ethically important, but they are also giving a higher level of quality to your readers. Those who fail to attribute aren't just morally questionable, they're also short-sighted.

Submitted by JessSanders on Sat, 09/20/2008 - 04:40