New York Times Reporter Caught Plagiarizing

A New York Times business reporter has been caught cribbing text directly from the Wall Street Journal and other sources, the Times sheepishly admitted in an editor’s note today. The Times says the Journal alerted them to uncanny similarities between a Journal article published Feb. 5, and a Times DealBook blog post by Zachery Kouwe that went up two hours later. Though the Times studiously avoids the word “plagiarism” it says “several passages are repeated almost exactly.”

The Times then looked into the matter on its own, and found “other cases of extensive overlap” between Kouwe’s writing and articles from other news outlets, including Reuters, though it hastily adds that there’s no reason to believe any of the information was false. The Times concludes by saying it will investigate further, and take “appropriate action.” (More New York Times stories.)