Don't Blame the Player, Blame the Game

I would have hired Kendra Marr.
Why? Because her resume and my resume are so alike. Same undergrad and grad school. Same love of journalism. We both worked in the San Francisco Bay region. Both of us are women of color.
I think I also understand how the kinds of plagiarism accusations could lead a young reporter to resign from a good job.
Sure, the player has to shoulder the blame. But I blame the game, too.

The Internet, and Internet-research techniques, make is so easy  to find facts, stories, sources and so much more. Sometimes it is easier to use a paragraph or two from an already published source than it is to report it out yourself. And don't get me started about cutting and pasting. Yes, I can understand how someone can cut and paste reference material on the wrong take (Google Docs, anyone?) and , in the rush to deadline, forget what is yours and what belongs to someone else.
Too easy to make a series of career-ending errors.
Back in the day there was a warning that "Speed Kills." Maybe for 21st century journalism the saying should be "Speed Kills Careers."
Being first, especially for websites such as Politico, is important. Maybe too important. Top the "we're first" syndrome with making sure you post hypes of your story on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and whatever other flavor of the day social media channel you use.
Sometimes it seems if there isn't any time to check back with a source or make the second phone call, or, even worse, tell the editor that the story won't be ready until tomorrow.
I share your pain, Kendra. I see myself in you and realize that it could have been me.
But I blame the game, too. These days, journalism is about speed more than it is about accuracy and objectivity.
That's why I'm not so quick to blame the player. I gotta blame the game.