LETTER: Repeated plagiarism unchecked in SA journalism

I enjoyed reading Chris Roper's article and his analogy of a photograph of a pointless gate on a Durban pier, to life in SA ( “SA’s gateway to nothing,” March 31). He touched on the ineptitude of local authorities, the state of journalism and the endless roundabout of corruption that has become blurred in the public mind. 

For me, the final insult in all of this is the fact that the source of the original story and photograph — my friend Pete Graham — who took the original photograph of the desolate pier and useless, padlocked gate before posting it on his Facebook page, together with the withering commentary that found its way into all subsequent newspaper articles, is neither acknowledged nor even mentioned in passing.

The original Facebook post appears to have been lifted by a journalist at either East Coast Radio news or The Sowetan, where the story and photograph were copied and pasted, and were then repeatedly plagiarised across multiple news sources throughout the nation. None of these news sources identified or credited the photographer or his article.

The article and photograph are, correctly, a metaphor for the state of local government here in Durban. But the manner of its blatant copying and dissemination by news organisations is yet another clear reflection of the parlous state of SA journalism and the laziness and lack of integrity of many who pretend to be holders of the title of journalist.

Mark Lowe
Durban

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