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.