Times Rips Off Yet Another WSJ Story Idea
Does the New York Times have an intern who just reads copies of the Wall Street Journal from last year and suggests story ideas to steal? Has our explanation of the rules for stealing news stories legitimately had no impact on Times whatsoever? (No). Yesterday Anemona Hartocollis wrote a story for the Times about family-style therapy, largely focusing on the work of a Beth Israel treatment center. That's....been done:
"Letting Your Family In On Your Therapy," WSJ, 7/17/07:
When Tony Fama worries about recurring sadness or has questions about antidepressants, he calls a psychiatrist — his wife's.
Mr. Fama's wife, Helen Kraljic, suffers from bipolar disorder, and he calls her doctor frequently if she seems to be manic or having side effects from her medication. Often, Mr. Fama sits in on his wife's therapy sessions, offering his opinions. Sometimes, he talks to the doctor about his own struggles as caregiver.
"Clinic Treats Mental Illness by Enlisting the Family," NYT, 6/4/08:
It was a depressive swing that brought Helen Kraljic Fama and her husband to Beth Israel's clinic, on 17th Street near First Avenue, nearly 30 years after Ms. Fama suffered her first bout with the disease.
Ms. Fama, 50, who was once a bookkeeper and a cashier, said her manic episodes include an obsession with numbers, which she feels are friendly to her. ("I always brag that she scored a perfect 800 on her math SAT," said her husband, Anthony P. Fama, 60.)
We won't belabor the point; you can read the stories for yourself. Pay particular attention to the similarities in the sourcing. Note to the NYT: You're pissing off your competitors! Probably not a good idea, considering the economic climate at the moment. We beg you, follow the rules by only stealing from the other 99% of media outlets in America.
