This week, prominent columnist Johann Hari of The Independent confessed an extensive record of plagiarism and a healthy dose of harassing his rivals through nasty Wikipedia entries.
He said he would return a writing prize and take a four-month leave to train himself in journalism fundamentals. The news organization said it looked forward to his return.
Hari said he had massaged quotes, often simply taking from some other source or someone's writing, when his interviews didn't yield material of a particular grade.
The Economist, in its Bagehot blog, has summarized the experience and added some context of the ethical dilemma for the foreign correspondent. It notes the challenge of character for the journalist whose work might not be easily verified.
The blog finds great fault with Hari and greater fault in those defending him. It also frets about what
He said he would return a writing prize and take a four-month leave to train himself in journalism fundamentals. The news organization said it looked forward to his return.
Hari said he had massaged quotes, often simply taking from some other source or someone's writing, when his interviews didn't yield material of a particular grade.
The Economist, in its Bagehot blog, has summarized the experience and added some context of the ethical dilemma for the foreign correspondent. It notes the challenge of character for the journalist whose work might not be easily verified.
The blog finds great fault with Hari and greater fault in those defending him. It also frets about what
