Too Close for Comfort

In the mid 90s, I was unemployed for a while so I had some time on my hands.  A friend of mine called me about an article in the Wall Street Journal and asked if I had seen it.  I said.  Sure, it was a great story and I also saw it on Oprah.  He hesitated for a moment and said..."you are the only person in the country who read it in the Wall St. Journal and saw it on Oprah." 

Indeed, Wall St. Journal provides a rich source of ideas for journalists. Katie Couric has discovered that sometimes the stories that result from those Journal articles are a little too close to the original. 

I'll let you decide if this immigration story in today's Republic is a little too close to this immigration story from the Wall St. Journal. 

Arizona Republic	Wall Street Journal
The Internal Revenue Service created the nine-digit tax identification numbers in 1996 for people who aren't eligible for Social Security numbers.	In 1996, the IRS created the individual taxpayer identification number, or ITIN, a nine-digit number that starts with "9," for taxpayers who didn't qualify for a Social Security number.
Foreign nationals living legally in the U.S. who have reason to file, such as students, also can get the numbers	Foreign nationals with tax-reporting requirements in the U.S. can also get an ITIN
…said Steven Camarota, research director at the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that supports tighter restrictions on immigration.	…says Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which supports tighter immigration controls.
"It's important that we comply with the laws of this country," Aldaz said.	"The rules of this country say that everyone must file taxes," says Pablo Espinoza, a welder. "I am complying with the rules."
Many illegal immigrants are hoping that playing by the rules now will help them earn legal status in the future should Congress pass comprehensive immigration reform…	Most illegal immigrants who visit Petra Business Services, as Mrs. Castillo's business is called, say they hope that filing a tax return will eventually boost their chances of securing a green card.
Many also hope to get a refund.	The possibility of getting a refund is another motivation:
"I want to have a record of my taxes, how much I paid and how much I received . . . to prove I am paying my taxes like everyone else," Romero said.	"We work hard. We have a clean record. We file our taxes," he says.

Comments

[Peoria Pundit]

Wow... your blinding hatred of the Republic in specific and the media in general is on full display in this one, Greg. Either that hatred prevents you from seeing some of the errors in your logic, or else you don't think much of your audience's intelligence.

Without a doubt, the Republic got the idea for the story from the WSJ -- but that's not at all uncommon for papers to do. They localize national stories all the time. But to look at both stories and imply, with a straight face, that the Republic cribbed the content of their story from the WSJ is laughable, especially based on the fact that a select few words appear in both stories -- words that are not unusual for the subject matter. [sarcasm] Wow! Both stories about the tax deadline include the words "taxes" and "refund"? That's incredible. [/sarcasm]

If you at least want your critique of the Republic -- and don't get me wrong, they're by no means a great (or even good) paper; you're just wrong in your assertion -- to have some semblance of credibility, at least don't compare words in direct quotes. It's pretty hard to plagiarize those from the WSJ, and it's apparent they didn't. Or are you trying to imply the Republic fabricated the quotes to follow the arc of the WSJ story?

[Tom Troxell]

I too noticed the striking similarities and sent emails to both the Republic and WSJ pointing out the 'coincidence.' I've yet to receieve a reply from either one.