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Zimbabwe’s biggest news group, the state-owned Zimpapers has accused Bulawayo24News of plagiarism.
Basically what Bulawayo24 does, if you are not familiar with it, is that it takes news from different sources and publishes on its site giving credit at the bottom. It’s an obscure place you can miss but in reality even the mainstream media does that when they get copy from someone else.
This has raised the ire of the state’s newspaper accusing them of benefiting from the work of others. This was particularly expressed in exchanges with different followers on its @ZimpapersViews account.
It all degenerated into an unprofessional exchange on social media with @Byo24News. At some point Bulawayo24 accused Zimpapers of stealing images. Yeah it got a bit silly.
Social media was is not the place to have these sort if exchanges really. An email to Bulawayo24 to come to a resolution would have been the way to go. Yes, Zimpapers has every right to protect content it works hard to put together but doing so in the public eye is essentially shows us an emotion we do not want to see even if it is right.
Do we think that Bulawayo24 can do better in the issues raised by Zimpapers? Absolutely.
Zimpapers must remember that it is an institution first and foremost that exists to serve the people. A media institution must strive to never be the news itself.
That other stuff is stuff has a time and a place.
That said, we hope the two can come to a resolution.
Read the exchanges below. The newest is at the top so the conversation begins at the bottom.
@Byo24News @ChronicleZim If we’ve used your images without crediting and with the frequency with which you’ve lifted our content – we erred
@ZimpapersViews @ChronicleZim we always credit your stories, ALWAYS! – u took our images without crediting, frequency is immaterial
@Byo24News @ChronicleZim Noted. We will be sure to notify the relevant persons & end this supposed pilfering of your images.
@ZimpapersViews @ChronicleZim our contacts are on the website, they have never been hidden.
@Byo24News @ChronicleZim But if you prefer that we get them via your website and not through your Twitter platform, we can do that. Thanks.
And then from before…
Byo24News @Byo24News
Zimbabwe Newspapers @ZimpapersViews@justdelta @zenzele @Byo24News @ZimpapersViews hv to agree w Delta, u cant sit by yo laptop waiting for other pple to generate content 4 u
Swift with Ctrl C & Ctrl V RT “@zenzele: But I like the Byo24 spirit .Swift with news.@Zibonele @Byo24News @ZimpapersViews @radiodialoguefm”
Its lesson to mainstream media.@justdelta @Zibonele @Byo24News @ZimpapersViews @ChronicleZim @radiodialoguefm
@Byo24News @ChronicleZim If we’ve used your images without crediting and with the frequency with which you’ve lifted our content – we erred
@Byo24News @ChronicleZim And that’s standard for whom? It is not our standard to LIFT your stories and use them on an ALMOST daily basis
@Byo24News @ChronicleZim The “standard” of not creating your own content,perpetually riding on the content of other titles is unappreciated
Very true.why not just credit the source. @justdelta @Zibonele @Byo24News @ZimpapersViews @ChronicleZim @radiodialoguefm
+1 RT”@radiodialoguefm:@Zibonele @Byo24News @ChronicleZim:We dont mind pple using our stories as long they give us credit for our hard work”
@Zibonele @ChronicleZim @radiodialoguefm Apparently @Byo24News acknowledges source at the very very bottom, where its obscured
@Byo24News @ChronicleZim ..then you byeline each story with the default “Staff Reporter” prominently placed at the very beginning of a story
@Byo24News @ChronicleZim Oh,you mean at the very very bottom… quite obscured from view & not even prominently placed so as to not mislead?
Chitungwiza residents create human wall to block bulldozer from demolishing their property,threaten driver–>http://bit.ly/1mGzmVu #twimbos
The people running it are reportedly UK-based RT “@SirNige @jpmatenga @Byo24News: can you not sue for plagarism?”
@i_amten @Byo24News @HeraldZimbabwe @ZimpapersViews yes acknowledge. Or just leavw it. Its very expensive to source good original content.
@teldah @byo24news @heraldzimbabwe @zimpapersviews or simply acknowledge where it came from and put the writer’s byline, not ‘staff writer.’
@ZimpapersViews @SirNige journos spend time, resources, writing,making tiresome editors corrections.thinking concepts.then u just copy!
@ZimpapersViews @HeraldZimbabwe @Byo24News there’s an absolute lack of respect for journos work by zim websites smtyms by otha journos.
@ZimpapersViews @HeraldZimbabwe @Byo24News I’ve been speaking abt ths plagiarism for a LONG time.if we dnt have content agreement:dnt steal.
@ZimpapersViews @HeraldZimbabwe @Byo24News I have never read any story originating from Byo24.I once wrote Byo24 is a courrier,vessel
Delta Milayo @justdelta
zenzele Ndebele @zenzele
Teldah Mawarire @teldah
Tendai Marima @i_amten
John Muketsi @jmuketsi
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