Courant apologizes for plagiarism

Hartford (WTNH) - The Hartford Courant has admitted stealing news from its competitors and publishing it without attribution.

Tough times in the newspaper business just got a lot tougher for the state's largest newspaper. The Hartford Courant has admitted to repeatedly copying someone else's homework, but in the news business that is the deadliest of deadly sins - plagiarism.

In the world of journalism, plagiarism is equal to high crimes and misdemeanors in a political impeachment, but in this case, there is no Congress or legislature to conduct a prosecution.

It was the staff of the rival Journal Inquirer that first noticed their work, and the work of other local newspapers, showing up in the Courant with bylines and attribution removed. They made their allegation on the front page of their weekend editions.

Today, the Courant announced it had conducted an internal investigation. On today's front page, a box below the fold noted a letter from the publisher. In it Richard Graziano, who is also General Manager of WTIC-TV writes, "The Courant plagiarized the work of some of our competitors. This was not our intent, but is in fact what happened. We are taking corrective action to prevent it from happening again. We have also disciplined the individuals involved."

Journal Inquirer Managing Editor Chris Powell says internal Courant memos indicate that when Courant reporters were laid off in the suburbs, the Courant's policy would be to take stories from other papers.

"We have not gotten any answers from the Courant on the record, as to whether they're going to keep taking stories from the Journal Inquirer and other papers," Powell said.

If Graziano doesn't make good on his printed pledge, Powell says he may go to court claiming the Courant is violating copyright laws.

"Taking things from other news sources, misappropriating them, putting them to your own, for profit use, that's really what we object to," he said.

The publisher of the Journal Inquirer is quoted today's paper as saying "It makes no difference if the stolen material is attributed or not, it's still stolen."

We've had no response to messages left for Graziano with his Administrative Assistant at both the newspaper and the television station.