Like it? Link it…

It is often said that one of the main sources of information for journalists is other news reports. Inspired by what they read in print or see elsewhere in the media, journalists often find ways to move existing stories forward or take those stories in new directions.

One of the oldest problems with print journalism, however, is figuring out how to add depth to those stories and avoid the inexcusable crime of ‘lifting’ material directly from other writers. Luckily, on-line media just made tackling those two problems a whole lot easier.

WEB OF CONNECTIONS

According to New York University’s Jay Rosen, on-line ‘linking’ from one story to another has created a “web of connections” and embodied the entire ethic of the internet by connecting people and steering them towards additional knowledge.

For journalists, using this tool affords them the space to add background information to their work and can provide back up data to support their arguments. The chance to move a story forward and take that story to other places in cyberspace cleverly brings the written word to life in a multi-dimensional way.

In addition, links can show the origins of a story and offer an alternative view or angle to that story.

Rosen calls these links ‘depth’ and I believe that by seeing it this way, he really highlights the value and power of linking to other sources on the web.


PLAGIARISM NO MORE!

The greatest sin of any writer, whether it’s on purpose or by accident, is plagiarism. However, on-line linking may be the cure for such a crime, says Tammi Marcoullier in her Publish2 blog post ‘Is Linking an Antidote to Plagiarism in Journalism?’

Describing a clear case where her own words were lifted by another journalist, Marcoullier states that with today’s on-line technology “plagiarism is more inexcusable on the web because writers can credit sources with a link.”

Marcoullier sums up that “On the web, there is value in creating an alternative to copying someone else’s work. When editors value link journalism and communicate to their reporters and writers that including links to their sources and giving credit where credit is due is as important as meeting a deadline, they will provide less incentive for plagiarism.”