Did this AP reporter commit plaigarism? Should I turn them in?

[even_sven]

I think this counts as indesputable background information that does not need a formal cite.

Every fact the AP author cited is easily found in other places and the AP writer did not include every fact that the Tripod cite mentioned. The sentance structure is pushing the line, but I don’t think anyone should lose their job over not working harder to disguise where they learned basic facts.

[Cat_Whisperer]

Well, I asked Dread Pirate Jimbo about this, and he said that he was taught, as an English major and editor for his college newspaper,

We were always told that “common knowledge” does not require a cite (eg. Valentine’s Day is Feb 14; the sky is blue, etc…), but that everything else should be cited. Of course, that was at university, where everyone was expected to be scholarly.

I don’t think it’s much different in the real world, if a journalist is serious about their work and not stealing other people’s.

[Marley23]

@even sven

I don’t think anyone should lose their job over not working harder to disguise where they learned basic facts.

We’re not talking about a college or high school paper here where you DO disguise that stuff. When you’re reporting, you’re not supposed to do that at all. Here the reporter is presenting something as his own work when it clearly is not. It doesn’t matter if the information is obvious; someone else (either the TriPod site, which would raise concerns about where he’s getting his info) or the common source wrote it and the reporter copied and pasted it. You don’t do that.