Who wants to be a Millionaire?

Who wants to be a Millionaire?

How many cases of plagiarism in 2007 at Centennial College School of Journalism?

How many cases of plagiarism in 2007 at Centennial College School of Journalism?

Final Answer?Final Answer?

A) fewer than 10 cases/semester ?

B) about 100 cases ? C) 2 or 3 cases ? D) 30 to 40 cases ?

A) fewer than 10 cases/semester ?

B) about 100 cases ? C) 2 or 3 cases ? D) 30 to 40 cases ?

Answer: A Fewer then 10 per semester = about 20

a year all courses in the J-school

Across many courses:Design, Observer newspaper, Radio

News, Television News, Intro to Reporting 1

You think we have problems???? …

“Last year, more than 140 University of Ottawa students who were accused of academic fraud (plagiarism, copying, Internet Plagiarism) received various sanctions, including

expulsion from the University. “

Plagiarism Latin : Plagiaries = to plunder Plagium = kidnapping

Not just a problem for the j-schools.

Industry too….Not just a problem for the j-schools.

Industry too….

Regret the Error.com

• Round of up plagiarism cases in newspapers world wide

• 2007: 24 cases --student papers incl. a Journalism prof. in Missouri!!!

• 2006: 33 cases including Toronto Star

One story that didn’t make the 2007 list:

One story that didn’t make the 2007 list:

Jack McAndrew: Well known PEI based journalist and columnist.

Admitted it was out of laziness Got a 3 month suspension from the

paper the Eastern Graphic.

Jack McAndrew: Well known PEI based journalist and columnist.

Admitted it was out of laziness Got a 3 month suspension from the

paper the Eastern Graphic.

Ellin:Ellin:

PLAGIARISM AT CentennialPLAGIARISM AT Centennial

So how to make explaining how NOT to do it more effective and meaningful to students?…..

and keep the reputation of this college program strong in the industry out there.

So how to make explaining how NOT to do it more effective and meaningful to students?…..

and keep the reputation of this college program strong in the industry out there.

Transparency in assignments

Centennial Journalism school policy:

Academic policy Journalism penalties

Two strikes you’re out.

As of Jan 2008: online, broadcast, design, magazine, photo, etc

New policy is clearer and gives examples, too.

Reasons why students do it?Reasons why students do it?

Laziness Desperation Lack of time Accidentally To “screw” the teachers To get good grades To keep your OSAP grant

Laziness Desperation Lack of time Accidentally To “screw” the teachers To get good grades To keep your OSAP grant

LazinessLaziness

It’s easy to get stuff on the Internet and incorporate it.

It saves time. Lots of students are poor time

managers.

It’s easy to get stuff on the Internet and incorporate it.

It saves time. Lots of students are poor time

managers.

Desperation/FearDesperation/Fear

• Fear of missing a deadline• Fear of missing a story• Fear of getting a bad mark• Actually missing the deadline

• Fear of missing a deadline• Fear of missing a story• Fear of getting a bad mark• Actually missing the deadline

Accidentally

By not knowing what to do with stuff you borrow from the Internet, newspapers, colleagues, others.

Ideas can’t be plagiarized?

Ideas can’t be plagiarized?

• True?• Words can be.• True?

• True?• Words can be.• True?

Bottom line

It’s still theft It misleads and threatens the foundation

of trust on which the relationship between journalists and news consumers is based. (Nick Russell, Morals and the Media).

Not doing it can help YOU stay employed.

◊ When I was in High School….◊ When I was in High School….

Attribution and Plagiarism

Attribution and Plagiarism

• A classmate turned in her friend’s older sister’s paper. She got an A-.

• I slaved for 3 weeks, looking stuff up in the library and in Encyclopedias and handed in my paper.

• I got a B-.• Cheaters always win..I thought.

• A classmate turned in her friend’s older sister’s paper. She got an A-.

• I slaved for 3 weeks, looking stuff up in the library and in Encyclopedias and handed in my paper.

• I got a B-.• Cheaters always win..I thought.

My mom said:My mom said:

• She won’t learn anything.• She won’t learn anything.

You won’t stay employed long

You won’t stay employed long

• Knowing how to cheat may get you a degree and a job, but it won’t help you keep it, if they find out you don’t possess the skills you could have learned had you done the work originally in j-school. (Robert Harris, virtualsalt.com)

• Knowing how to cheat may get you a degree and a job, but it won’t help you keep it, if they find out you don’t possess the skills you could have learned had you done the work originally in j-school. (Robert Harris, virtualsalt.com)

What needs attribution?Not everything needs attribution

AKA Common Knowledge

» Prime Minister Harper has two children, and lives at 24 Sussex Drive.

» Prime Minister Harper has two children, and lives at 24 Sussex Drive.

… Canada was created by Confederation Canada has 10 provinces and 3 territories

NO ATTRIBUTION NEEDED of FACTS.

Plagiarism can happen when you don’t attribute:Plagiarism can happen when you don’t attribute:• Word choice• Syntax• Nicely written turns of phrases• Quotes that YOU didn’t get on your

own

• Word choice• Syntax• Nicely written turns of phrases• Quotes that YOU didn’t get on your

own

Here’s a made up story in the X Star:Here’s a made up story in the X Star:

“The inside of 24 Sussex Drive looks like it hasn’t been restyled in years, with drab curtains, and a motorcycle collection stored in the garage, “ sniffed Mimi Manners, an Ottawa socialite.

:• In an interview published in the

Toronto Star last Tuesday, Mimi Manners described the Prime Minister’s residence as looking like it hadn’t been restyled in years, with drab curtains and …a motorcycle collection stored in the garage. .

Plagiarism if you write..

If this is Your article: If this is Your article:

Some observers say the inside of 24 Sussex Drive looks like it hasn’t been restyled in years, with drab curtains, and a motorcycle collection arranged in the back yard garage.

This is plagiarism too !

Some observers say the inside of 24 Sussex Drive looks like it hasn’t been restyled in years, with drab curtains, and a motorcycle collection arranged in the back yard garage.

This is plagiarism too !

You have to attribute word choice, syntax, turns of phrase, and inteviews which YOU didn’t get yourself.

You have to attribute word choice, syntax, turns of phrase, and inteviews which YOU didn’t get yourself.

How to avoid trouble: Put the attribution in the same sentence,

immediately.

Don’t wait till a bibliography --which we don’t use in news writing.

Here’s how it’s done..Here’s how it’s done..

Eg: Author Patti Tasko says in her book the Canadian Press Style Guide that journalists should “never misrepresent themselves as a mourner” when covering a funeral.

Or, you can change the entire citation…

Don’t cut and paste into your story or on-air document, planning to remove the stuff later on.

Deadlines come quickly and you might forget to.

..

Don’t look at the original news article or source, after the initial research.

Write from memory

Don’t look at the original news article or source, after the initial research.

Write from memory

Hint….Hint….

•Write it entirely in your own words AS IF YOU WERE TELLING A FRIEND, MOM etc.

•Write it entirely in your own words AS IF YOU WERE TELLING A FRIEND, MOM etc.

USE QUOTATION MARKS

Around words that you didn’t write yourself

Around nice partial quotes or even when paraphrasing from the article

Around words that you didn’t write yourself

Around nice partial quotes or even when paraphrasing from the article

For broadcastingFor broadcasting

• According to the Toronto Star website, an Ottawa socialite Mimi Manners was outraged at the new style habits of the Harper family at 24 Sussex Drive.

• This is ok.

• According to the Toronto Star website, an Ottawa socialite Mimi Manners was outraged at the new style habits of the Harper family at 24 Sussex Drive.

• This is ok.

For broadcastingFor broadcasting

If you want to use her direct quote in your radio story or tv story on air--- we can’t SEE quotation marks on the radio so you have to actually speak them out loud.

Here’s how:

If you want to use her direct quote in your radio story or tv story on air--- we can’t SEE quotation marks on the radio so you have to actually speak them out loud.

Here’s how:

Write: In her words, Manners told the Star, quote, “it hadn’t been restyled in years, with drab curtains and …a motorcycle collection stored in the garage.” Unquote.

Write: In her words, Manners told the Star, quote, “it hadn’t been restyled in years, with drab curtains and …a motorcycle collection stored in the garage.” Unquote.

Same rule applies to Info from a company/government/website

It’s their spin so you need to be careful. Don’t quote word for word from a website UNLESS you attribute it properly.

In election stories….In election stories….

Write: His own website describes him as “committed to young people and their issues.”

Broadcast: His website describes him as, in his words, quote, “committed to young people are their issues.” unquote.

Write: His own website describes him as “committed to young people and their issues.”

Broadcast: His website describes him as, in his words, quote, “committed to young people are their issues.” unquote.

How to avoid trouble part 1

1) Write it from memory..don’t cut and paste.

How to avoid trouble part 2

Check your version against the original one to make sure words are different, structure is different.

How to avoid trouble part 3

Make sure you use a different FONT if you do cut and paste so you can later tell it’s not your work!

How to Avoid Trouble -- A recap!

Use quotation marks when taking direct quotations from anywhere.

Always attribute,right in the same sentence.

Other kinds of plagiarism

Copying someone’s In Design project by hand or digitally without their permission. (If the student who is copied was “in” on it, they also face sanctions.)

Other no-nos…..to avoid:

“Borrowing” a copyrighted digital photo or image from the Internet without attribution.

Clip Art is OK with permission from the teacher.

Other no no’s

Adding copyrighted music or sound or images to a television project

Note: Garage Band is OK with permission from the teacher.

Quiz ! Quiz !

Test for you !Test for you !The Indiana University website has a The Indiana University website has a

quiz on how well you have learned how quiz on how well you have learned how to recognize plagiarism.to recognize plagiarism.

http://education.indiana.edu/~frick/plagiarism/item1.html

Test for you !Test for you !The Indiana University website has a The Indiana University website has a

quiz on how well you have learned how quiz on how well you have learned how to recognize plagiarism.to recognize plagiarism.

http://education.indiana.edu/~frick/plagiarism/item1.html

Centennial J-School pledge form

We are pioneering -- in Ontario -- a student pledge for honesty and truth telling in journalism school.

After reading the Centennial College Journalism Academic Honesty policies

form, please sign and date the pledge and return it to my box.

Good Luck !!!Good Luck !!!

Thank you for learning the “right” way

If you have any questions, always ask a teacher BEFORE the story or assignment is due.

Your feedback would be extremely welcome: drop a note in my box - Or e mail me.

Ebessner@centennialcollege.ca

Thank you for learning the “right” way

If you have any questions, always ask a teacher BEFORE the story or assignment is due.

Your feedback would be extremely welcome: drop a note in my box - Or e mail me.

Ebessner@centennialcollege.ca