attribution workshop: show your work

Show Your WorkLinking + attribution =

good journalism + good business+ good ethics

Digital First MediaOctober 2013

#DFMlink

Plagiarism …… is a firing offense. Don’t:• Lift passages from other sources without

attribution & link

Plagiarism …… is a firing offense. Don’t:• Lift passages from other sources without

attribution & link• Lift quotes from other media w/o

attribution (to media, not just speaker)

Plagiarism …… is a firing offense. Don’t:• Lift passages from other sources without

attribution & link• Lift quotes from other media w/o

attribution (to media, not just speaker)• Lift from press release without

attribution (& link if it’s online)

Plagiarism …… is a firing offense. Don’t:• Lift passages from other sources without

attribution & link• Lift quotes from other media w/o

attribution (to media, not just speaker)• Lift from press release without

attribution (& link if it’s online)• Rewrite w/o attribution & link

Links = good business• Better SEO for better search traffic• Pingbacks, alerts from links bring direct

traffic• Pingbacks, alerts from links may bring

new inbound links & social mentions• Links = traffic = revenue = journo jobs

Links = good journalism• Context• Depth• Attribution• Credibility• Clarity• Honesty• Transparency

Press releases• Obligation is to reader, not to our sources

of information• Best approach (if time permits or story

merits): Use as tip & do original reporting• If not, quote or rewrite, but attribute &

link (if it’s online)

Quotes from other media• Best course: Seek your own interview &

use fresh quotes. (But if story is exclusive, acknowledge other story & link)

• If that doesn’t work: Use quote, attributing to speaker and media outlet (even if it’s a competitor)

Attribution in social media• Native “share” or “retweet” carries

attribution• RT or MT (modified tweet) if adding

comment• HT or h/t for “heard through” or “hat tip”• Not necessary to repeat attribution

endlessly in livetweeting

Embeds > links• Embeds are the ultimate attribution• Embed tweets, videos, slides, source

documents• Embedding tools: Storify, Spundge,

Scribd, Document Cloud, SlideShare

Audio & video > links• Record video & audio of interviews• Touts (or longer videos) and audio clips

add multimedia dimensions to stories• Video & audio of the speaker’s words are

the best attribution & authentication

No attribution needed:• What you witnessed personally• Common knowledge• Calendar (unless quoting); source is

implied• If you re-report, acknowledge that you

weren’t first, but don’t need heavy attribution to other media

Cut & pasteCutting & pasting from digital sources can ensure quoting accurately. But:• Attribute & link before pasting• Paste into quotation marks or block

quote • Color code in notes to identify sources• Sloppiness is guilty plea, not excuse

Editors: Demand links• If stories lack links, editors should ask for

them• Failure to provide links raises red flag:

Could be plagiarism and/or fabrication• “Summer of Sin” from 2012

Editors: Be skeptical• Occasionally (always if you’re suspicious)

Google a unique phrase• If journalist can’t provide links, ask for

documentation• If you have doubts or if someone accuses

journalist of plagiarism, consult editor, cluster editor, Jim Brady or me

Investigating• Always take plagiarism & fabrication

accusations seriously• Examine similarities• Ask reporter to explain & show notes,

emails, etc.• Investigate other stories by reporter

Linking as BS detectionJournalists covering Manti Te’o’s story of girlfriend would have exposed the hoax by seeking links to:• Obituary• Story or police report about accident• Girlfriend’s activities at Stanford(She did have bogus social media profiles.)

Effective attribution• Write stories with links: Digital First• Attribute to other media by name,

including competition, not “media reports” or “a blogger”

• Active voice, not “was reported”• Attribute to press releases• Embed tweets, videos

Ethical aggregation• Fair use (excerpt unless you have

permission to use in full)• Attribute (by author & publication, not

“media reports” or “was reported”)• Link (even if you get more value, you

drive traffic to the original source)• Add value (comment, context, content)

Credit ideas, too• If an idea for your story, photo, video or

other project came from someone else’s work, give credit

• Follow the golden rule: If you’d want credit if your work inspired someone, give credit to those who inspire you

• Blog or social media are good places to credit

Call me any timePlagiarism is an emergency. I’ll respond quickly if you tell me you’re dealing with a plagiarism case. Call me at 267-697-9275; if that doesn’t work, email me: sbuttry@digitalfirstmedia.com