Plagiarism: Crime or Compliment?

Plagiarism is a crime of theft. Worse, I think it is a crime or moral turpitude. It is also the earmark of a lazy writer who has no scruples.

This morning I was reading an in the garden section of a Southern California newspaper. As I was reading, I kept thinking to myself, “This seems very familiar – too familiar.” Then it happened. I read my own words. Word for word in one of the paragraphs. 

Plagiarism happens every day, especially with online articles. But this was published by a large and respected newspaper. I have issues with the reporter, no doubt. She got paid for my words. True, she did add some of her own ideas, but mostly she took mine. Some she rewrote, others she just plain stole and didn’t bother trying to hide it.

How does this make me feel? Angry, of course, but also flattered in some odd way. She thought my work was worth stealing. Thee key word is worth. My work has value, as does yours. We care about what we write. We pour our heart and soul into creating useful information and presenting it in an entertaining way. While I took a few moments to pat myself on the back – I had written something worth stealing – I am left with a feeling of being violated.

Had she quoted me and given me credit, that would have been fine. If she had cited my article as a reference, that would have been fine. And, both would have been appreciated. She did neither, she got paid, and now I have an article out there some may believe I plagiarized. After all, I’m a lowly Internet writer and she works for a newspaper. Who do you think would get the benefit of the doubt? If the reader takes the time to look at the dates of publication, the truth is obvious. Most won’t. This may not even be an issue. Who is to say that anyone will make the connection? Will the people who read “her” article ever come across mine? Maybe. She found it, I’m guessing by doing a Google search. Other people probably will as well.

The biggest issue is that what this reporter did helps to give all writers a bad reputation. You know what they say, one bad apple spoils the whole bunch. Not that we will all suffer immeasurably because that writer couldn’t come up with her own words, but we all are affected. That is, in my opinion, a shame.

Am I a victim? Yes, and so are you, as a writer. And so are all the people who read her article, and those who will read mine. Will I turn her in? Probably not, at least not this time. But I can guarantee you I will be following her column. I’m not a vindictive person, but I won’t roll over and continue to be taken advantage of. I can’t keep her from doing it again. But I sincerely hope she doesn’t repeat her mistake, that she had a single, momentary lapse of morality.

There is a reason for everything, including this. I have learned from this. I hope you will as well.