Observant readers of Salut! Sunderland may have spotted my comment this morning, asking this rhetorical question: “Nothing wrong with plagiarism provided it can be passed off as research?”
The cause of Monsieur Salut’s displeasure was not that the Daily Express, beneath the following illiterate headline …
MICK HARFORD’S DLEIGHTED HIS SIDE ARE PLAYING SUNDERLAND
… had chosen to do no more than lift – a euphemism (try saying an euphemism aloud) for steal – quotes from our own interview with Monsieur Harford.
To see words from here repeated elsewhere, even when our contributions are criticised, is actually a matter for pride.
But as most journalists have come to see, it is decent and proper to recognise, when quoting the work of others, to give readers the source of those quotes. As is shown in the following short article, no such attribution appeared:
MK DONS assistant manager Mick Harford is delighted his side host Sunderland in the League Cup tonight.
“This is a dream draw for me,” he said.“At every club in my career, I have always hoped to be drawn against Sunderland. They are my hometown team and
I have fond memories of supporting them as a young lad.”
Apart from turning Mick Harford’s affirmative response to my question – “You’re a Mackem: was this a dream draw for you” – into “This is a dream draw for me”, that is his response, slightly abbreviated but essentially verbatim.
If the Express can demonstrate that MK Dons were so impressed by our interview that they repeated its content for general media consumption, and also that “delighted” is an outmoded spelling of “dleighted”, Salut! Sunderland will apologise.
I have written for that newspaper – though I do not expect, after this, to be asked to do so again – and would not have had the slightest objection to the Harford quotes being reproduced if only there had been attribution. We try to do it here when citing the work of others – and would quickly remedy any omission pointed out to us – despite being a tinpot little fan site with no massive readership or advertising.
Phil Johnson, commenting on the original “Who are You?” interview after I had mentioned the Express’s little ruse – said: “I registered, then posted on the Express website pointing out the fact that the “Express Reporter” had “lifted” it from here. I, also, suggested that any fee due to the reporter should be sent, instead, to Salut.”
Great idea, Phil.
Getbetter, Express. And hire some sub-editors.
Monsieur Salut
Yes! (Probably)
Any Express and/or Daily Mail bashing is welcome with me! Interesting point about “a euphemism”, because, like ukelele and euphonium it has that “y” sound at the beginning, “a” is used rather that “an”. And here’s a good one, a newt was originally an ewt, an apron was originally a napron, and an adder was originally a nadder. You get nowt like this on MagpiesZone ya knaw?!! Ha’way Me Bonnie Lads!!
…and was a nutter originally an utter idiot?
There’s an old story about the little boy who asks his dad why it thunders.
“Well, son,” he says, “whenever anyone tells a lie God makes it thunder.”
“But daddy, how can it thunder at night when everyone is asleep?”
“Because, son, that’s when they print the Daily Express”.
From The Little Red Joke Book, Pluto Press, 1984.