LIS 5100 : Avoiding student plagiarism

In an assignment for LIS 5100 this week, I was asked to discuss how I’d handle a student plagiarism case. As UCM’s policy on Academic Honesty (2017) points out, “[A]cademic honesty is one of the most important qualities influencing the character and image of an educational institution.”

Steve Buttry, my journalism mentor, dies at 62

Steve Buttry

My condolences to the family of Steve Buttry, who died Feb. 19 of pancreatic cancer at age 62. I met Steve when I worked in the newsroom of a California newspaper; his employer, Digital First Media (DFM), provided management services for the newspaper’s parent company.

Our newsroom was transitioning to a multi-platform publishing strategy that placed an emphasis on “digital first,” and Steve came to our newsroom during a tour of member newspapers to share resources and strategies, and also to bring back with him any challenges we might face at our stage of implementing.

Steve Buttry to teach at LSU

Steve Buttry

Steve Buttry, my mentor in social media, fact checking and media ethics, announced this week that he will teach full-time at the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication.

Earlier this year, Buttry became a free agent, following layoffs by Digital First Media (DFM).

Buttry’s announcement this week was welcome, awesome, news to this former DFM journalist. His full-time role of educator seems like a really good fit.

TurnItIn identifies 10 ways to rip off others’ work

Detail from an infographic
by TurnItIn.com: The degree
on a scale of 0 to 10
to which types of plagiarism
are considered problematic

In an infographic, TurnItIn identifies and provides examples of 10 types of plagiarism.

“Each type of plagiarism has been given a digital moniker to reflect the significant role that the Internet and social media play in student writing.”

It’s worthwhile viewing for anyone who works with composing or editing of text.

“The Plagiarism Spectrum,” according to TurnItIn, “moves plagiarism beyond the black-and-white definition of ‘literary theft’ to one that captures the nuances of how plagiarism can take form in student writing, with a severity scale based on student intent.”

A full study, which presents results from 879 secondary and higher-education teachers, is also available for download.

‘Grumpy Cat’ is your editor when ...

Grumpy Cat editor says ‘No.’ Created with memegenerator.net

“Grumpy Cat” is your editor when ... you pretend to be a journalist without understanding the ethics of my profession.

Too late for Friday Cat Blogging but just in time for Caturday, I couldn’t resist generating this meme that features Grumpy Cat (reasoning that criticism of objectionable PR practices may be more palatable if delivered by an adorable feline). The image was created with memegenerator.net.

• A man pretends to interview himself. He submits a first-person “article” by an unidentified author that purports to have talked to him and uncovered “the truth.”
• A news submission purportedly announcing an event’s change in venue, instead devotes most of its copy to accusations of corruption against an entity a source who “wished to remain anonymous.” The author includes a claim that his tirade’s subject “could not be reached for comment.”

It offends me when people submitting press releases mimic tabloid journalism. At best, these practices reveal lack of understanding and, at worst, contempt for my character as a practicing, professional journalist.

Pelosi’s image: more than 'year book photo’

In the American Library Association group on LinkedIn, a commentor is chastising me for being part of a perceived “trend” to discredit members of U.S. Congress who support U.S. President Barack Obama. I posted a link to a Storify curated by Deborah Petersen because I thought it relevant to library workers’ efforts to curate historic records.

Congressional women's photo altered with Photoshop

As both a library student and journalist, this is a matter of integrity and historic credibility. Curated in Storify by Deborah Petersen of the San Jose Mercury News: Four of the House Democratic women depicted in a photograph were added later. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is defending the photo alteration.

Why were unidentified sources permitted to ‘diagnose’ Newtown, Conn. shooter?

Why were unidentified sources permitted to “diagnose” Adam Lanza, identified as the gunman in Friday’s Connecticut school shooting?

Teen website recommendation: Youth Journalism International

My distance-ed class through Cuesta College, LIBT 118, engaged in a semester-long discussion of websites that library workers could recommend for teens:

Youth Journalism International values a free and open press. Its Jan. 18 posting urges readers to push back against proposals in Congress “that would restrict the net.”

YJI believes that “The key to a better world lies with global understanding and truthful, effective communication.”

“Founded by two veteran reporters, Youth Journalism International works with more than 200 students across the globe, ages 12 to 24.”

While teaching students about writing, press responsibility and ethics, YJI also helps them become world citizens. This website would be a good resource for empowering teens to create journalism and to develop a world view.

Toastmasters has policy of non-discrimination

As president of my local Toastmasters club, I am making a presentation to remind our club about Toastmasters International’s policy about maintaining member privacy, about its position of non-discrimination and about ethical conduct expected of us.