Sources, attribution and plagiarism for news and feature writing Avoid plagiarism by always attributing facts, information and quotes to the appropriate source. (Compiled by Prof. Karen Gill)

Reporters are researchers News and feature reporters do their own primary research. They DO NOT: Rely on information or facts gathered by others to write their stories Use information and facts from other news organizations Use information or facts found from general Internet searches

Sources Where do reporters get their information? Reporters DO get information from: Interviews that each reporter conducts for himself/herself are the primary source of all news and feature articles: Recognized experts and authorities are best, such as professors, researchers, authors and government officials, and also credible eyewitnesses.  Credible, reliable reference materials Their own observations

Reliable reference sources Books and periodicals, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, biographical dictionaries, atlases, wall maps, gazettes, yearbooks, almanacs, books of quotations, abstracts, chronologies, indexes Databases such as government websites, digital and electronic information retrieval systems such as Lexis-Nexis, Factiva, etc. Libraries for specific news organizations; public and private libraries; online, telephone and text message library services Corporate and and government PR practitioners

Attribution All sources must be identified in each story, this is called attribution. Only two types of information DO NOT need attribution: Commonly known facts that are easily found in reference books. For example: China is part of Asia. The Earth is round. Shanghai is a city in China. What the reporter who is writing the story sees or hears first-hand for himself/herself.

Types of attribution Information that is attributed to a person: Direct quote: “Many students have problems with attribution,” Karen Gill, a visiting professor from the U.S., said. Indirect quote or paraphrase: Karen Gill, a visiting professor from the U.S., said that many students have problems with attribution. Information attributed to reference materials: According to the book, “Professional Feature Writing,” the most challenging aspect of computer database use is search strategy.

Source >> Attribution People >> said Reference materials >> according to Commonly known facts >> none Own observations >> none

Importance of attribution Attribution is essential in all news media to let readers and listeners know where the information came from. A source may not tell the truth, may not be careful with the truth, or situations may change over time, so that something that was true at one time may not be true at another time. Attributing the information to the source lessens the responsibility on the reporter to prove that it is true. Attributing information to the source allows the readers and listeners to come to their conclusions about whether the information is reliable. Attribution is a defense against the crime of plagiarism.

Nonattribution If a news article does not identify a specific source, then it must be assumed that: The reporter saw, heard or thought it for himself/herself. The information is a commonly known fact. Which are these examples? The Virginia Supreme Court sentenced John Brown to six years in prison for his crime. The Virginia Supreme Court holds its court sessions in Richmond.

Nonattribution IF a news article does NOT identify a specific source for a fact AND the reporter DID NOT see, hear or think it himself/herself NOR is it a commonly known fact THEN it could be a crime of plagiarism.

Plagiarism According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to "plagiarize" means to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own to use (another's production) without crediting the source to commit literary theft to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud and a crime. It involves both stealing someone else's work and lying about it afterward.

Words and ideas can be stolen According to laws in the United States and many other countries, the expression of original ideas is considered intellectual property, and is protected by copyright laws, just like original inventions. Almost all forms of expression fall under copyright protection as long as they are recorded in some media (such as a book or a computer file).

Forms of plagiarism Turning in someone else’s work as your own. Copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit (attribution). Failing to put a quotation in quotation marks. Giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation. Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit. Copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not. 

Punishments for plagiarism Academic settings: Failing grade for the assignment Failing grade for the entire course Expulsion Institutional settings: Most will not tolerate any form of plagiarism. Many have lost their jobs or been denied positions. In journalism, it is nearly always the end of a career. Legal punishment Usually misdemeanors punishable by fines of $100 to $50,000 and one year in jail Sometimes felony, if profit made from plagiarism, with fines up to $250,000 and 10 years in jail

For more information Plagiarism.org Turnitin.com Avoid plagiarism by always attributing facts, information and quotes to the appropriate source.