The New York Times Plagiarism Problem ... Randolph Mantooth says "give now and be prepared for an 'Emergency'" ... Nicholas Meyer on The Wrath of Khan ... CyberFrequencies and life on the web ... and how Dinner Party Download makes your life better.
The New York Times’ Zachery Kouwe problem
In an editor’s note in the New York Times, the paper reveals that reporter Zachery Kouwe “reused language from The Wall Street Journal, Reuters and other sources without attribution or acknowledgment … Copying language directly from other news organizations without providing attribution — even if the facts are independently verified — is a serious violation of Times policy and basic journalistic standards. It should not have occurred. The matter remains under investigation by The Times, which will take appropriate action consistent with our standards to protect the integrity of our journalism.”
Just how dumb do you need to be to steal from the Wall Street Journal … especially when you work for the New York Times? (Come inside for more...)
Cutting-and-pasting from a friend’s email, a la Maureen Dowd, is bad enough, but at least in that case you’d have a small chance you wouldn’t get caught. But people at the Times read the Journal, and vice versa, even if they don’t especially like it.
Have you read Kouwe’s new book about whaling? Here’s a brief excerpt:
"Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee. Sink all coffins and all hearses to one common pool! And since neither can be mine, let me then tow to pieces, while still chasing thee, though tied to thee, thou damned whale! Thus, I give up the spear!"
Good stuff. Hope it makes Oprah’s book club.
This comes as Gerald Posner got in trouble from Slate’s Jack Shafer for plagiarising, as Michael Sigman writes at HuffPost, adding some well- and lesser-known cases of musical borrowing – since his dad was Carl Sigman the songwriter. And this reminds me of the piece I did a couple years ago when Joe Satriani sued the band Coldplay for lifting a melody.
(Check out John's weekly show Off-Ramp.)
Where's the "Emergency!" Star? Actor Randy Mantooth Still Saving Lives
You probably know actor Randolph Mantooth as paramedic John Gage from the 70s primetime drama "Emergency!" He hung up his EMT costume years ago, but the interest in emergency services generated by the show - and by his constant public advocacy for paramedics - have saved many lives. John chatted with the TV star about Emergency, working with Jack Webb, and two new movies he's in: Scream of the Bikini and Bold Native.
Here's the trailer for "Scream of the Bikini."
John and Queena take fundraising to the streets
For KPCC's Fall Fundraiser, John and Queena hung out in front of the LA Times building this week, asking people if it was okay to take newspapers from the box without paying for them. You get the connection: it's worth paying for high-quality journalism.
Ed Asner, the Grouch, Speaks "Up"
Ed Asner, who voices the lead character in the new Pixar movie "Up!," says this is the era of the grouch ... a role he perfected as "Lou Grant."
Star Trek Helmer Nicholas Meyer Tells All, Makes Up Some
KPCC's John Rabe interviews Nicholas Meyer, the author and screenwriter, about his new book, "The View from the Bridge." In the first two segments here, Meyer talks about childhood, the attraction of Sherlock Holmes, casting and meeting Olivier, and making "Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan," which revived the Star Trek franchise. (The last piece of audio is the whole, unedited interview.)
Whet your Whistle at Chroni's on Whittier
Off-Ramp's Whittier Blvd. Wanderers - led by the Mr. Americana Charles Phoenix - visit Chroni's Famous Sandwich Shop.
Above, the famous Chroni's Sandwich Shop dog. When the sign was neon, the dog's tongue licked the hot dog.
Orff-Ramp — Music for Kids
Ilsa Setziol takes us to a music school for toddlers and little kids that uses the teachings of Carl Orff, the composer of "Carmina Burana."
CyberFrequencies
Here's a little Cyber Trivia: Did you know that KPCC is the one of the only public radio stations in the country to feature a program dedicated entirely to web culture and technology? CyberFrequencies delivers thought-provoking news about "Life on the Web" every week, on the air and online. Your support of KPCC helps us to continue to push our reporting in these new directions. Thanks!
Dinner Party Download
Dinner Party Download's been serving up tasty morsels for over a year. Now that you've become the envy of your dinner table, won't you consider "tipping" your public radio station?