The interesting thing about this is if you are going to steal something at least make it worth your while. What Selva stole from Kevin Ding of the OC Register is pretty bad in my humble opinion.
Here are all the details of a story:
From Will Selva, ESPNews anchor:
“I made a horrible mistake and I’m deeply sorry. I did not live up to my high standards or ESPN’s. As I often do, I research local stories to use as background for writing my script. In this case, I cut and pasted the story with every intention of writing my own. I simply forgot and I completely understand why this is a major problem. I sincerely apologize for my sloppiness, especially to Kevin Ding, viewers and colleagues. In my 15 years in broadcast journalism, nothing like this has ever happened and I will make every effort to ensure it won’t happen again.”
Here is Kevin Ding’s original post:
Hey, Will Selva of ESPNEWS. Glad you liked my last column so much. Try not to plagiarize it next time.
I got back to my hotel room late Tuesday night after the Lakers-Spurs game and turned on ESPNEWS’ “Highlight Express” show. Imagine my shock when anchor Will Selva proceeded to use the first several paragraphs of my column looking forward to the game as his lead-in to the highlights.
I mean, word for word.
Christmas isn’t over yet, Lakers fans.
The big game, it turns out, will be the game after the supposed Game of the Year.
In San Antonio on Tuesday night, the Lakers will be out to give themselves and their fans the much-needed gift of hope.
I could have wrote Selva a much better and interesting opening than that, but I digress.
I can understand why Ding is upset no one likes when their words or phrases are used verbatim and Selva is a pro he should know better.
I do think Ding could have went about it a little better and tried to contact Selva directly to see what happened as oppose to getting salty in a column.
Shockingly higher profile journalist steal a lot of things from smaller journalists (remember that next time you hear someone call a player “moist”, the term “bathwaterslurper” or the phrase “smarten up Nas”).
I have even seen my beloved “Daffy” pic which show up on some other sports sites.
It happens, you have to keep it moving and continue to drive in your own lane. People who steal and are not creative to come up with things on their own are destine to fail anyway.