News & Record editor responds to Pastor's plagiarism

News & Record editor Allen Johnson responds to the issue of the guest column with substantial plagiarized portions.

Johnson writes:

"We obviously would not have knowingly published such passages if we had known they were not properly credited. So we feel it is important to acknowldge that here and now."

Johnson also reports that Michael Usey, pastor of College Park Church, explained that he originally composed the guest column as a sermon and Usey says that explains why he did not identify the original sources of the paragraphs he copied word-for-word:

"When you give a sermon you’re not giving a lecture – saying, ‘as so and so said,’ but when you put it in print there are different standards and I should have remembered that."

On the News & Record's publishing of plagiarism and lack of response

On the (Greensboro, NC) News & Record's handling (or lack thereof) of the plagiarism it published as a guest column (no link to the N&R column, original letter here) N&R reporter Joe Killian and I had this exchange:

Joe:

I usually follow the Greensboro blogs pretty carefully but because of the rush Friday and then the holiday weekend even I wasn't aware of it until it would have been too late to do anything to prevent it.

I've sent an e-mail to a few of the editors now -- but I think under the circumstances "publishes known plagiarism" suggests that someone in a position to prevent it knew it was plagiarism or at least unattributed and I don't think that's the case here.

Me:

Thanks for the comment, Joe. You might think it is a distinction without a difference, but I did not write, "Knowingly publishes plagiarism." My intention was to convey "publishes what was known, even if not by the N&R, to be plagiarism."

I'll grant you, I loaded that title a bit -- to convey two things: That a piece that did not pass the smell test to this lowly blogger passed undetected through a reporter and a editor at the N&R; and two, to emphasize that if professional newsorgs are to maintain value, one of the most important ways is as adjudicators of accuracy and truthfulness and here, the N&R stumbled -- so asleep in this case, that they not only failed to catch it themselves but remained oblivious (or at least, unresponsive) as it came to light on local blogs.

To-date, it does not appear as if the N&R has addressed or even acknowledged this in print, on its website or on either of the editorial staff blogs.

News & Record publishes known plagiarism

Although the letter from Michael Usey, pastor of College Park Church to Greensboro mayor Bill Knight was exposed as plagiarism yesterday afternoon, Ed Cone reports that it was published in this morning's (Greensboro, NC) News & Record (no link).

The News & Record has been careless before in publishing plagiarized submissions, but when the plagiarism comes to light in advance, it is incomprehensible how the News & Record can proceed with its publication.

[Update: Ed says the Sunday edition goes to press on Thursday.]

Recursion

Do you know what "recursion" means? Try searching it on Google.
(Hat tip: Larry Ullman)

Of politicians, pastors and plagiarism

Today, Ed Cone linked to a letter from Michael Usey, pastor of College Park Church.to Greensboro, NC mayor Bill Knight. It was a great letter. Much of it is not his. He took large chunks -- multiple paragraphs -- including a first person account that begins with "In France, I had seen..." from a 2005 lecture by J. Brent Walker. Other portions came from an unsigned work at the Baptists Joint Committee for Religious Liberty web site.

Also this week, Bill Randall, a Republican vying for the chance to run against Brad Miller for North Carolina's 13th congressional district admitted to Yes! Weekly's Jordan Green that large portions of his web site were copied from other sources. Randall blamed the plagiarism on  "unauthorized inclusions" by a volunteer he would not name.

[Update: Usey's passage that begins with "In France, I had seen..." is actually identified as a quotation by Usey, albeit without quotation marks. Other copied portions are not identified as from other sources.] 

[Update II: As Michelle notes in the comments, Usey's identification of the quotation is, itself, within the original text copied from another author.] 

My first concert

Ed Cone says he went to the Led Zeppelin concert at the Greensboro Coliseum in 1977. I was too young to go. My first concert was the next year: Electric Light Orcehstra, also at the coliseum.

I could not find any video from their stop here, but these are from the same tour.

Led Zeppelin - Greensboro 1977 Concert film

Found on Greensboro101. From the description:

"Never-before-seen live concert film clips of Led Zeppelin performing 'The Song Remains the Same' in Greensboro, NC, May 31, 1977 (John Bonham's 29th birthday)."

"Real n _ _ _ _ _ _"

These young men make an appearance in Greensboro to tell the crowd about "real n_ _ _ _ _s" (2:50). There appears to be much enthusiasm for the speech. Girls yell, "We love you."

Stolen lawnmower update

I think I should probably not go into detail yet, but I have been in contact with the detective assigned to the case of my stolen lawnmower and I'll say this: The detective has gathered substantial evidence.

Letter writer Rosen offers broken logic

In a letter to the editor of the News & Record today, Richard J. Rosen, MD, tries to take down Don Liebes, the guy fighting to allow smoking in his private club in the face of the restaurant and bar smoking ban. Rosen fails.

Rosen sets up the pins by accurately describing Liebes' objections to the law -- the law prohibits smoking in bars and restaurants unless they attach to tennis courts or golf courses violating equal protection, says Liebes -- but, instead of taking on the legal issues, Rosen "counters" Liebes by citing the health benefits of the ban. It's a non sequitur: "The law is based on sound science," therefore Liebes' equal protection objections are invalid, is Rosen's broken argument.

I can appreciate Dr. Rosen's enthusiasm for protecting the public health, but he really failed to explain or justify his objections to Liebes' complaints.

This just in: Robbie Perkins, son of Satan!

Robbie Perkins is the son of Satan! So says a commenter at Joe Guarino's blog about the Greensboro city council representative's objection to government sanctioned prayer during the exercise of Council's official duties.

Oh yeah, and hooga booga!

O' holy straw man

When it comes to the appropriateness of prayer on the agenda of public meetings, can we at least ground the discussion in a little reality? The issue is one of a governmental body officially undertaking praying during the course of its formal duties.

Objecting to that is not the same as saying that people do not have a right to pray in public as heard on 94.5 this morning and posited by local blogger Joe Guarino. Nor is it an attempt to "scrub our culture of religious symbols..." as the News & Record's Doug Clark worries. Those are straw men*.

[* "The Straw Man fallacy is committed when a person simply ignores a person's actual position and substitutes a distorted, exaggerated or misrepresented version of that position."]

Disorientated

From the News & Record today:

"Lee Street is south of the campus. To its west is Spring Garden Street."

Uh, no.


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So a short bald guy, a fat redheaded guy and a tall blond guy walk into a lineup...

This asserts some facts that I hadn't heard before, but if they are true, what are the implications?

"It is our understanding that the investigative practice of 'line-ups' is based upon the people in the line-up exhibiting a reasonable likeness to the description of the person alleged to have committed the crime. It has been widely reported that the 'Black Book,' which was at issue during the end of Chief David Wray’s tenure contained 19 photographs of African American officers who were reportedly on duty during the time that a reported sexual assault occurred. Further, information indicates that officers in the photo line-up had a range in age of at least 20 years, ranged in height from approximately five feet five inches tall to six feet and five inches tall, ranged in weight from approximately 170 pounds to approximately 390 pounds, in skin complexion from very dark-skinned to very light-skinned, and had a combination of full heads of hair to completely shaved heads."

[From the Pulpit Forum's letter to Greensboro Police Chief Tim Bellamy]

Green won't let me waive off knowledge of Pulpit Forum complaints

Information that translates into knowledge is one of the foundations of democracy.
-- The Pulpit Forum

What were those occupiers of the City Council dais protesting before their arrests anyway (video)? I said their complaints seemed short on specifics. Yes!Weekly's Jordan Green said, not so fast, there are some specific concerns. He sent me the questions the Pulpit Forum sent to Greensboro Police Chief Tim Bellamy.

While some questions are clearly leading and others are out of of the Chief's purview, of what remains I find some of the questions compelling, especially those that have to do with empirical information such as the numbers and breakdowns of investigations, arrests and prosecutions and the appropriation of funds.

It's a wonk's read -- for now. But some of the specifics are going to bubble up to newsworthy significance soon, I suspect.

No college for you!

"Let's just say, if you wonder why America is in the crap it's in... well here ya go!"

Education at GTCC: Sold out.

Robbery update

A police officer just left. He got here within an hour of the 911 call. Very professional and helpful. He ran the tag and it matches my vehicle description (morons). The Sheriff has been dispatched to the owner's home.

Yes! Weekly reconciles the facts on police complaint review committee bill

Bloggers make assertions and raise questions. Mainstream alternative weekly illuminates with the facts.

"Local bloggers Sam Hieb and Joe Guarino ask how language ended up in Harrison’s bill allowing access to police personnel files if the city council approved a resolution that removed a provision to allow such access."

The answers.

I was just robbed!

I work at home. I had the headphones on yet still managed to hear a noise. I looked out the window to see a man walking across the neighbor's yard towards a small silver SUV that another man was loading up my lawnmower into. I ran out, got the license tag and called 911.

Free! For $1.95

From the City of Greensboro website describing the new online water bill payment feature:

"It’s free to use all options, but a convenience fee of $1.95 will be charged when making online payments."