An issue of honesty

By John Trump

Published: April 19, 2008

Let’s be honest here. Literally, let’s be honest here, meaning on this page, in this newspaper and on our new Web site, GoDanRiver.com.

I’ve heard from many readers who are unhappy with the site, a compilation of The Reidsville Review, Eden Daily News, The Messenger and the Danville (Va.) Register & Bee. And, because we’re being honest, I strongly believe the combined site is a big improvement over the previous offering. Investigate the new site, keep an open mind, and I think you’ll agree.

I’ll talk more about the Web site later, but let’s return to the key word – honesty.

On Thursday, I got a call from a reader who told me that parts of a recent letter to the editor were taken verbatim from another Web site. We investigated and found that some of the letter’s content was taken directly from a piece written some 13 years ago. It’s not only unfortunate, but the act of plagiarism breaks the trust readers must have of their newspaper, and the trust that this newspaper must share with its readers. We immediately removed the letter from our Web site, and it will not run in the twice-weekly Messenger. I will not publish another letter from this writer.

We demand original work from our reporters and our readers, and we will accept no less. In today’s wired world, the temptation exists to “lift” items from Web sites and other sources. For some, that temptation proves irresistible. We all know about Jayson Blair, Stephen Glass and Janet Cooke, reporters for prominent newspapers and magazines who fabricated stories for no one’s benefit but their own. They broke that trust, and the readers were duped.

Blair, Glass and Cooke are famous examples, but, sadly, this practice is far from rare. About three years ago, two reporters for this paper made up quotes for a daily piece called “Two Cents Worth.“ The editor and the reporters resigned shortly thereafter.

As editors – and readers – we do our best to ensure all work is original and attributed accurately. But sometimes things get through, such as the aforementioned letter to the Rockingham papers. I’ve worked in this business, in one form or another, since becoming an Air Force journalist some 27 years ago. It’s what I do, and I take it seriously. During those years, I’ve witnessed or heard of several incidents of plagiarism and fabrication committed by colleagues, including attempts to pass off news releases – and even an entire column – as original work. I’ve seen one long-time columnist suspended for a week and two more fired. And this only counts the six daily newsrooms in which I have been a full-time employee.

These few journalists have marred the credibility of the thousands of dedicated professionals who go to work each day determined to do the best job possible for his readers or viewers – in print and online. That’s regrettable, but it isn’t going to change how we do journalism.

Speaking of journalism, I’ve heard from dozens of people who are unhappy with the new Web site. Many say they can’t easily find news about Eden and Reidsville, and because the obituaries aren’t categorized according to the town in which the deceased had lived, people have become frustrated with the change. Our readers miss their “local” Web sites, saying they aren’t interested in news from Virginia.

I understand your frustration, and I have done my best to respond to your calls and e-mails. But I ask that you give the site another chance. Our industry is going through a period of rapid change, as are companies worldwide because of both the recession and the dramatic changes brought on by the Internet. We’ve gone through our share of changes at the Review and Daily News, but we’ve never lost focus of our mission to provide our communities with a quality newspaper and Web site.

If you have turned away from GoDanRiver.com, give it another chance. Among its many attributes, we update the site throughout the day so that it’s a continuous source of news, readers can comment on every story and opinion piece, and we’ve provided links to local and national stories not found on the old sites.

We will continue to listen to our readers, and will do what we can to meet their needs. Have you noticed “Alley Oop” has returned to the comics page?  Now we won’t have to wonder what happened to Oola.

A special thank you goes to the reader who tipped us off about the plagiarism, and we ask that our readers continue to talk with us. Someone once said that the measure of a newspaper’s health can be found on the Opinion pages. Let’s keep the dialogue going and, most important, let’s be honest with one another.

 
John Trump is group editor for the Rockingham County newspapers.