By Jonathan Wardle
Recent events in the newsroom have caused me to again consider the spreading plague that I refer to as the 'Napster Syndrome'. This is not an argument against obtaining music through the use of peer-to-peer computer technology. It is an argument against disregard for proper attribution and lack of appreciation for someone else''s work.
The catalyst for these thoughts is the learning curve new reporters face as they struggle to master the demands of the newsroom. One of these demands is the requirement that all sources, comments and opinions be attributed.
Those who read newspapers on a regular basis are aware that journalists tend to follow almost any sentence or paragraph with some form of attribution (i.e. 'Joe Blow said'). This norm exists because failure to attribute thoughts and ideas properly can get a reporter into trouble, especially if those thoughts and ideas are controversial.
At the beginning of every semester, new reporters become The Universe''s life blood. Most of these reporters struggle at first to understand the need for constant attribution. This problem, however, reaches far beyond the new reporters at The Universe.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported last month on a national survey of secondary school students. It stated that 75% of the 4,500 students surveyed admitted to participating in some form of 'academic deceitfulness,' including plagiarism and copying homework, as well as cheating on tests. One-third of the students surveyed admitted to cheating 'regularly.'
According to the same article, the Center for Academic Integrity at Duke University reports that about 70% of college students admit to cheating. The recent fiasco concluding in the resignation of a rural Kansas high school teacher illustrates the widespread nature and acceptance of this disease.
Christine Pelton suspected 28 of her students had plagiarized a biology project when she noticed similarities in their projects. A little research on the Web confirmed her suspicions, and she failed the offenders. But the parents of these children complained to the school board, and Pelton was told not to fail the students. Pelton resigned instead.
But none of this is too surprising in light of the new culture of the Web, in which information can be copied at lightning speed with the click of a button. The ability to gather data quickly and effortlessly is what makes the Internet so beautiful. But there is a danger in this Age of Ease. The 'finders-keepers' assumption seems to abound in this environment.
There are those who seek to create a better product with the altruistic vision of its free availability. I point to the Richard Stallmans and Linus Torvalds of the GNU and Linux movements. It is their right to do so, and I admire their actions. Because of the collaborative environment of the Internet and 'freeware', Linux already rivals Microsoft''s Windows operating system.
But this country also protects the right of individuals to own, protect and share property at their own discretion. This right extends to intellectual property.
Hence my reference to the 'Napster Syndrome.' It does not refer just to the use of technology in copying copyrighted material. It refers to the prevalent belief of this generation that copying without permission or attribution is not an ethical problem.
But it is. Plagiarism is a problem. Stealing is a problem. Dishonesty is a problem.