Plagiarism suit: End result of not enough reporters?
Posted by Leah McBride Mensching on November 20, 2009 at 4:08 PM
What happens when there's more work to
do than one editorial staff can handle? In the case of The Hartford
Courant, the largest newspaper in Connecticut, United States, the
answer is "aggregation," which on Thursday turned into a
plagiarism lawsuit, filed by a smaller, family-owned newspaper, The
Associated Press reported.
The Journal Inquirer of Manchester, Connecticut, is suing The Courant, stating The Courant saved money by cutting back on local staff, only to publish the Journal Inquirer's reports under Courant reporters' bylines. Last summer, The Courant also began aggregating local news and summarising or re-writing the articles, and then attributing them to the original news outlets.
The Journal Inquirer of Manchester, Connecticut, is suing The Courant, stating The Courant saved money by cutting back on local staff, only to publish the Journal Inquirer's reports under Courant reporters' bylines. Last summer, The Courant also began aggregating local news and summarising or re-writing the articles, and then attributing them to the original news outlets.
The Tribune Co., which owns The
Courant, defended the practice, saying it is admissible, as long as
the reports aren't contained in the print edition. However, in
September, Courant CEO and Publisher Richard Graziano apologised for
the practice, according to The AP.
As with other Tribune newspapers, The Courant has undergone a large number of layoffs, leaving just a skeleton crew to cover the news, leading editors to scramble for enough coverage, according to the Baltimore City Paper.
The lawsuit lists 11 local news stories that the Journal Inquirer says The Courant took from the Journal Inquirer and published as original content.
The Journal Inquirer is seeking damages under both U.S. copyright laws and the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, The Courant reported, adding that it has "disciplined several staff members who were involved."
As with other Tribune newspapers, The Courant has undergone a large number of layoffs, leaving just a skeleton crew to cover the news, leading editors to scramble for enough coverage, according to the Baltimore City Paper.
The lawsuit lists 11 local news stories that the Journal Inquirer says The Courant took from the Journal Inquirer and published as original content.
The Journal Inquirer is seeking damages under both U.S. copyright laws and the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, The Courant reported, adding that it has "disciplined several staff members who were involved."
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