Online Journalism Review
In the Kendra Marr plagiarism case, “the player has to shoulder the blame,” writes Pamela Moreland. “But I blame the game, too.” She points out that many journalists starting their career no longer have the luxury of making mistakes out of the spotlight because they go directly into the big leagues, usually working for online news sites. “In this atmosphere, there’s no denying that speed is an asset – but one that can kill careers, too. Being first, especially for websites such as Politico, is important. Maybe too important.” What needs to be done?
The first step is to acknowledge that there are systemic problems in the current practice of Web journalism. These problems have created a breeding ground for ethical lapses. Yes, this is a harsh view, but until we all admit this, we can’t begin to fix the situation.
Le’s stop blaming the players. Let’s get real about changing the game.
Erik Wemple also wrote about Marr and “the go-go journalism culture,” then heard from readers who accused him and others of being “too willing to excuse the inexcusable.” Wemple says he was just trying to explore the scandal from the viewpoint of its perpetrator.
