A Lesson in Media Integrity

There's that old saying about how "it's easier to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission" or some variation thereof.

In some instances, I might heartily agree with that. Maybe you have a great idea and decide to just go with it! That's fine. That's taking a risk, and I'm all about taking risks.

Where I do draw the line is with theft.

Theft comes in many forms, and in the circles that I travel in, it tends to be IP theft - which is rampant in toys, licensing, entertainment, and media. We see the knockoffs, the bootlegs, and the also-rans, and sometimes those come from surprising sources — sources that, because we respect them so much, are very, very disappointing.

In recent years, media coverage in certain niches has become increasingly... if we're being completely honest, hackish.

There are publications out there staffed by "writers" and "editors" who feel that simply copy/pasting a press release — bad formatting and all — and hitting "publish" constitutes news. It does not. Sure, certain folks might get a story out quicker, but speed hardly equals quality. On very rare occasions, I've done it — and I'd challenge you to find any editor that hasn't let a press release slip through*. It happens, especially in trade and entertainment news.

The danger is that because this behavior is so prevalent in trade and entertainment publications, the baddest of the bad actors automatically assume that everyone is playing the same game — and from there it becomes a dirty game. A game in which "news" items get copied-and-pasted among competitors, colleagues, and peers — republished under a different author name, or no name at all. Sometimes, the content is even rearranged to make it seem a little different.

The assumption that everything comes from a press release and is fair game is bullshit, and I first encountered it in the mid-2000s while working as an editor for a pair of entertainment genre magazines. It was then that I first came across my own original reporting, features, and reviews being lifted and republished, sans credit, elsewhere.

Indeed, sometimes the content was rearranged to make it seem a little different.

That's called plagiarism.

And I still come across it. Often. And with increasing frequency.

The industries that we work in aren't that big. In fact, it really is a small world. So, when something that I've written gets "borrowed" (or lifted, nicked, swiped, or outright stolen), it's pretty easy to notice. In the past six months, writing that originated from the very keyboard that I'm typing on right now has appeared in digital publications around the world that aren't the ones I work for — usually without my name attached, sometimes under someone else's name, sometimes with no name at all, and always without permission.

I've seen exclusive stories and news that my company has broken show up within hours, directly copied-and-pasted from our publications despite no formal press release about said news having been sent out. I've seen my personal commentary — and sometimes life experiences — sans credit, in other publications.

And sometimes, it's not the words — but the images.

Original photographs that I've taken to run with our stories often wind up elsewhere. And sometimes, as most publications do, we will make original image comps - new images created using authorized press images provided to us by a company or subject. Those get swiped, too. And if we watermark a photo? Well, the worst offenders will just crop it out - which happened several times last year including exclusive photos I ran from the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy and a new toy line that I photographed on my kitchen table, to name just a couple of instances.

The best part about all of this is how the thieves react to getting caught.

Somehow, they're the victim. Or, I'm the asshole. Either way you cut it, the thief should be forgiven and I'm a jerk for pointing out the theft. And the excuses? Well, it was usually "an intern" (so often the faceless, anonymous intern), a "new staffer," someone "just out of college," or someone that "didn't know better" or "didn't know the protocol."

The saddest part of all of this is that this happens so often, and with publications — some of them known, respected, and read — that all of my friends and colleagues would be equally disappointed to learn are engaging in less-than-savory behavior.

And the scariest part? If they're lifting from me, they're lifting from others (and they are!). Where is the honesty? Where is the integrity?

PUT IN THE TIME AND DO THE WORK.

Nothing hurts more than having to reach out to others to ask "why is this content on your site?" I can understand and accept a mistake here and there. But if I have to ask again, we have a problem and there will be zero forgiveness.

I keep receipts, and the folder gets fatter every single month.

I have been courteous in keeping these issues private and quiet as long as they're corrected. As of today, I'm reconsidering that stance. I have some pretty damning screenshots and emails that certain people would love to see.

But I'd rather see the industry shape itself up.

Learn proper credit and sourcing. It's okay to use excerpts from a press release — but it's not okay to lift original writing and reporting without credit.

This might be the only time that I ever issue a public warning.

Shape up. Shape up your staff. Or get out of the way and let the grownups play.

*Did you catch the asterisk after the thing about press releases? Some PR folks have become so accustomed to publications simply copy/pasting their press releases that they outright ask: "Will you help distribute this press release?" My answer, "No, but I'd love to help share your news."

**The T-shirt pictured up top comes from Boredwalk Los Angeles. They have a lot of apparel that's great for writers and media folks. I just love that saying, because it's true!