After reading about Merrill’s case of plagiarism, I can’t help but feel disgusted. I mean how can a “professional” journalist think that it was okay to take quotes from a student’s article? There is no excuse for that. If this man was in the profession for 40 years, how could he have not known what plagiarism was? I have to question the fact of whether or not this was the first time that Merrill took someone’s quotes without attributing them. I mean this girl just happened to be reading the paper, to see her own words… lucky for her. But for those that maybe haven’t been reading the Missourian they would have no idea if their work was stolen from them.
Now after reading Merrill’s response, I feel bad for the old guy.. and I do mean old, he is 83 after all. I only feel bad because his apology does sound sincere, but at the same time.. I still question why he didn’t just attribute the quotes?! I mean come on, John. It would have been nothing to just say that you go the quotes from somewhere else, no one would have looked down upon your writing. Now you have to pay the consequences.
Just to touch on the ‘Places Journalists Should Go for Politics’… I think it’s a great tool if one is writing about a political subject and needs information. Everything is right there for you! I’ll definitely be bookmarking that website!
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