Last week, when Gossips reproduced a comment by Sam Pratt that appeared in the print version of the Sunday New York Times, Pratt commented on Gossips, "Gosh, who knew that online comments are now being turned into published material without the author's knowledge?"
So, today, when the Register-Star ran an article about tomorrow night's forum on the issue of unleashed dogs in the Greenport Conservation Area, which was composed largely of online comments made not on the Register-Star website but the Columbia Land Conservancy website, one had to wonder if the one person who actually identified herself knew that her online comment was going to be printed in the newspaper.
Makes for very easy reporting.
ReplyDeleteAs long as the paper says where they got the comments, I guess it's fair. Is that the way it works?
ReplyDeleteWould be great if our local paper had journalists on staff. You know, the kind of writers who research articles, conduct knowledgable interviews, think critically about their sources and analyze all the material available to them prior to putting pen to paper (or fingertip to keypad, as the case may be). A good copy editor wouldn't hurt either.
ReplyDelete