Ethics in Journalism – Attribution and Plagiarism

This is Part 5 in an 11 Part Series Examining Journalistic Ethics.

ALLIANCE – The hallmark of a good and honest reporter is the ability to locate and properly report the news.

Sometimes a reporter needs help formulating an article, and sometimes one simply falls into their lap. Regardless of the source of the story, the reporter must be mindful to never use another’s work as their own.

On many occasions it may be necessary to directly quote a person, reputable publication, or some other source of information, but it must always be accompanied by proper attribution.

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines attribution as the act of attributing; especially:  the ascribing of a work (as of literature or art) to a particular author or artist.

Without the attribution “The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines,” it appears the reporter defined the word. As can be seen, the work from which the definition was taken must be given the credit. A reporter cannot take the work of others and claim it as their own, even if it is only a small excerpt, without ethical and legal ramifications.

The Associated Press Style Book, 2013 edition says, “We should give the full name of a source and as much information as needed to identify the source and explain why he or she is credible.”

Failure to properly attribute information to the source from which it came may not only cause damage to the reporter’s reputation and credibility, it may carry with it legal consequences as well.

When using direct quotations from an individual or individuals, the use of quotation marks should directly proceed and follow the quoted material. If using an indirect source such as with a printed work, the publication should be attributed as well as the author. In some cases, such as the use of the AP Stylebook, it is not necessarily possible to attribute the writer, but the publication still needs to be attributed.

One reporter taking credit for an article another reporter wrote is a blatant disregard for intellectual property, as is one author taking credit for the work of another author. Failure to do so may lead to a case of plagiarism.

Dictionary.com defines plagiarism as a noun meaning “an act or instance of using or closely imitating the language and thoughts of another author without authorization and the representation of that author’s work as one’s own, as by not crediting the original author.”

Any time a reporter refers to an interview or another publicized work, giving credit where credit is due can prevent a reporter from damaging their reputation, the reputation of that reporter’s publication as well as leading to legal issues.

Journalistic Ethics Series Article 1 of 11 – Personal Opinion
Journalistic Ethics Series Article 2 of 11 – Statistics and Numbers
Journalistic Ethics Series Article 3 of 11 – Political Affiliation
Journalistic Ethics Series Article 4 of 11 – Fabrication and Manipulation
Journalistic Ethics Series Article 6 of 11 – Self Censorship
Journalistic Ethics Series Article 7 of 11 – Data and Information Sources
Journalistic Ethics Series Article 8 of 11 – Use of First Person
Journalistic Ethics Series Article 9 of 11 – Favors, Gifts and Financial Gain