Since in practice the AP redistributes content from one member to another on demand anyway, FTM writer Philip Stone contends, perhaps ironically, that “all Greeley did was save the AP some work.”

More troublesome is the fact that this practice has gone unnoticed for several years, while Chris Cobler was the Tribune’s editor.

The real irony is that Cobler just started on his new job, as managing editor of Poynter Online – just about one of the US’ references in terms of journalism schools and etiquette. Now what does that say about journalism in general?

Well, Stone continues, it just says that this is widespread, recognized, and accepted practice in the journalism and media world. He recalls his budding career on Fleet Street in London.

“And it wasn’t just with text; it was just as bad with pictures. More often than not there was no credit line at all, but there were times when the newspaper would actually take credit for the picture and even times when they would give one of their own photographers credit for the picture.”

So do common practice and consensus excuse wrongdoing and contravening to basic journalism ethics?

No. In all fairness, Stone does defend the correct ethics that were instilled into him by US journalism schools. Yet the real change in the widespread practice of forgetful crediting came with Reuters new managing editor Peter Job in the 1990s though.

Despite initial resistance from newspapers to credit Reuters or give proper credits to their sources in general, Job was able, through forceful negotiations, to convince newspapers and other media of crediting Reuters’ exclusive stories. In the process of doing so, he also established a world standard.

Perhaps most noteworthy though: Job’s motivation to change the status quo was not only about principle and intellectual rights’ ethics, it really was about branding and effectively commercializing the Reuters’ name. Job understood the importance of branding a company’s name across as many places as possible.

Therefore, to an extent, the motivation of companies to be properly credited is similar to the motivations of companies that don’t properly give credit: both often seek to have their name more represented simply for marketing reasons.

Of course, this doesn’t justify improper use of credits or stealing another source’s content. Unfortunately, this seems to be such a widespread practice that the victims of theft are often also perpetrators, and unless a major organization (as Job did with Reuters in the 1990s) decides to put a halt to the practice, everybody will stay satisfied with the status quo.

Source: Follow the Media