WMAR lifts story idea from InsideCharmCity.com without giving credit
Some reporters get lazy sometimes, and sometimes there just isn’t a lot of news going on. Reporters have been caught lifting stories from the blogosphere and online news sites since the inception of the web. You would think that reporters would have figured this out by now and started giving credit. They haven’t apparently - at least WMAR here in Baltimore hasn’t.
This story posted (and apparently reported on) by Linda So (pictured at right) appeared at 10:20 a.m. Friday on the WMAR website. It appears to be the transcript of an actual television news story that appeared at an unknown time (does anybody actually watch their newscast?) earlier than that. The Stop Snitching DVD in UMBC library post appeared on this blog Monday morning and was covered on WCBM 680 AM the next morning (with a link provided and credit given.) I was invited to appear on WBAL 1090 AM the next afternoon (Wednesday) and the UMBC head librarian (who So also interviewed) was interviewed later in the same show. I’ve also been in contact with a handful of print reporters who are following this story as well.
So sometime after all this happened, Linda So just happened to come across this story all by herself since as far as WMAR viewers know since she didn’t even use the generic words “local website”, “local blog”, or “local radio station” to cite her source let alone using the name of her source or sources on the story. I’m sure her journalism professors in College Park would be proud of her.
If you want to contact Linda So about this, her email address is [email protected]. You can also contact the station’s news director and weigh in by calling 410-377-2222 and asking for David Silverstein.
So did bring up issues that came up on WBAL radio - after I was on apparently - as well as interview a couple of students. I will address a follow-up post on the actual subject later that mentions issues brought up on WMAR (that were also apparently brought up on WBAL before WMAR even knew about them.) The substantive post on the Stop Snitching at UMBC issue should be up by Monday.
UPDATE: The WMAR mobile site shows the story was posted at 8/9 in the morning. That’s still after all the other media mentions of it giving credit to Inside Charm City. Additionally, I want to offer WMAR a chance to respond on the record. Susan Lo or anyone else in station management should send their response to [email protected] and it will be published in toto without any edits.
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Local TV station lifts story from blog without giving credit
A reporter at WMAR, the local ABC affiliate in Baltimore, lifted a news story from Inside Charm City without giving any credit to anywhere else she might have seen it. The story about the Stop Snitching DVD in the UMBC…
Trackback by Conservative Thinking — August 11, 2007 @ 6:38 pm
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[...] reporter at WMAR, the local ABC affiliate in Baltimore, lifted a news story from Inside Charm City without giving [...]
Pingback by chrisshort.net» Blog Archive » Baltimore TV Station Lifts Story from Blog Without Giving Credit — August 11, 2007 @ 6:45 pm
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[...] reporter at WMAR, the local ABC affiliate in Baltimore, lifted a news story from Inside Charm City without giving [...]
Pingback by Stop The ACLU » Blog Archive » — August 11, 2007 @ 6:49 pm
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Another example of "old Media", ethics and rules. lol…
Comment by Lyta Alexander — August 11, 2007 @ 9:40 pm
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Oh the dogamity, biting is too good for her.
Comment by Buffy — August 13, 2007 @ 10:51 am
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[...] A few days later, I found that WMAR, allegedly pilfered a piece from another blogger. You can read that story here. [...]
Pingback by The Republic of Biloxi - Blog Archive » Originality in Media? — August 15, 2007 @ 8:14 am
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has anyone considered the possibility that she or someone at the station got the story from someone other than you? just because you were the first ones to blog about it doesn't mean you were the first to find out about it.
Comment by neveryoumind — September 1, 2007 @ 4:39 pm
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Neveryoumind,
The odds of that are virtually nil since it hadn't been mentioned anywhere before it was blogged here. If she heard the WBAL or WCBM radio reports, they both cited the source as being this blog and even if they hadn't, that would've meant she just ripped them off.
Comment by Jeff Quinton — September 2, 2007 @ 8:25 am
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Okay, what's your point?
Media outlets cover stories even though someone else reported it first.
So you had it first.. It's like urinating in black pants. A warm feeling, but no one gives a shit.
Braze
Comment by Dave Brazelton — September 18, 2007 @ 6:29 am
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[...] This is eerily similar to WMAR lifting content from Inside Charm City. [...]
Pingback by WBAL TV lifts content from Baltimore Crime blog — September 30, 2007 @ 11:01 pm
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this is old hat about who said what first. back in the day the afro-american newspaper used to print articles that were printed in the defunced news american and the sun papernobody got there bloomers in a bunch then; so why get upset now?
Comment by hope — January 14, 2008 @ 12:55 am
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what’s up with this increasing gas and electric again lied and home heating fuel is off the scale !!!!! its now $325.00 for 100 gals. of home heating fuel.! when is it going to end. everythings going up but a pay check unless your a gover. official!
Comment by hope — January 16, 2008 @ 1:20 am
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Baltimore TV Station Lifts Story From Blog Without Giving Credit
A reporter at WMAR, the local ABC affiliate in Baltimore, lifted a news story from Inside Charm City without giving any credit to anywhere else she might have seen it. The story about the Stop Snitching DVD in the UMBC library was covered on WCBM AM an…
Trackback by Lockergnome - Chris Short — May 21, 2008 @ 11:16 pm
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[...] WMAR lifts story idea from InsideCharmCity.com without giving credit Shakeup at WMAR Garceau out at [...]
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Would even cuterbody. Truth is what romance novel followers would you are.
Comment by kcogyqho — June 23, 2009 @ 7:07 pm
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Don’t you just love the way the radio and TV newsies sneer at bloggers (“citizen journalist” is a pejorative, IMO), but don’t mind plagiarizing from us when it suits them.
Comment by Blogger1947 — September 29, 2009 @ 7:43 pm
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[...] should we expect from a station that has Linda So (who steals stories) working at the SEOC in Reisterstown. Apparently their news operation is such a [...]
Pingback by WMAR’s Irene Coverage is a train wreck #mdhurricane @WMAR2News | Inside Charm City: Baltimore, Maryland blog — August 27, 2011 @ 9:31 pm