The DP fired columnist Jamie France '10 this weekend after her column on caffeine Friday bore uncanny similarities to a Yahoo! Food piece from March. The former ticks off facts on Diet Coke, Water Joe, Red Bull, Tab Energy, Enviga, Rocket Chocolates, Starbucks and Spike Shooter; the latter ticks off facts on Diet Coke, Water Joe, Red Bull, Tab Energy, Enviga, Rocket Chocolates, Starbucks and Spike Shooter. Five health benefits are duplicated, too. And all those things are given in the exact same order, the odds of which occurring naturally are one in (math nerds, speak up) 6,227,020,800.
We asked the DP about this on Saturday morning, and as of 5:30 p.m. the paper had France's back. "I see that there are similarities," her editor, Zoe Tillman, wrote, "but I stand by Jamie's work. ... I know that she would never intentionally plagiarize anything." EIC Shawn Safvi said: "I recognize the similarities and I know that Jamie did use that website as one of the main resources for writing her column. However, after speaking with Jamie I know that she did not intentionally plagiarize anything on that website." (Note the similar phrasing in their emails. Oh, the irony.)
But less than 24 hours later, France was canned. "While we still believe that she did complete other research to get her information, the similarities in writing style and structure are too noticeable to ignore," Tillman emailed us. "The DP does not tolerate plagiarism in any form, and we're currently discussing implementing more in-depth workshops on these issues for staff in the future."
Everything about this makes us sad. First, the DP is a great paper, and if plagiarism happens there, it must happen everywhere. Second, this is extremely unusual, but France may actually be a one-time offender; we'll be counting on you to find other examples, but in the meantime, this could just be a kid who screwed up at finals time. (France hasn't responded to an email.) Finally, and most disturbing of all, is the idea that a reader busted France by being familiar with a month-old charticle on Diet Coke on Yahoo! Food.
Note from the Editor: Upon investigating alleged plagiarism within Jamie France's column, she is no longer a member of the DP staff. The DP does not tolerate plagiarism in any form, and sincerely regrets the situation.
Date: May 1st, 2007 4:27 PM Author: zombie-like plaza
Wow! I didn't know that Jamie France, the UPenn freshman who plagiarized a Yahoo.com food article in the Daily Pennnsylvanian, also plagiarized a Yahoo.com food article in the Daily Princetonian!
So I was mistaken about Jamie France the UPenn freshman who plagiarized a Yahoo.com food article in the Daily Pennnsylvanian, when I said she plagiarized a Yahoo.com food article in the Daily Princetonian?
My apologies to Jamie France the UPenn freshman who plagiarized a Yahoo.com food article in the Daily Pennnsylvanian.
Date: May 1st, 2007 4:50 PM Author: zombie-like plaza
I was worried there for a moment. If it had turned out that Jamie France, the UPenn freshman who plagiarized a Yahoo.com food article in the Daily Pennnsylvanian, was also Jamie France, the UPenn freshman who plagiarized a Yahoo.com food article in the Daily Princetonian, then I'd have to move to New Jersey.
Again, I apologize to Jamie France, the UPenn freshman who plagiarized a Yahoo.com food article in the Daily Pennsylvanian for refering to her as "Jamie France, the UPenn freshman who plagiarized a Yahoo.com food article in the Daily Princetonian"
Date: May 1st, 2007 5:12 PM Author: zombie-like plaza
I feel compelled to echo your apology to Jamie France, the UPenn freshman who plagiarized a Yahoo.com food article in the Daily Pennsylvanian, for refering to her as "Jamie France, the UPenn freshman who plagiarized a Yahoo.com food article in the Daily Princetonian"
copying a list of facts makes it a close question. personally I think what she did is more akin to copying part of the phone book. she could have saved herself by saying: here's a list of energy drinks I found on the web (on yahoo), with my comments.
Date: May 1st, 2007 4:51 PM Author: zombie-like plaza
I, too, think that Jamie France, the UPenn freshman who plagiarized a Yahoo.com food article in the Daily Pennsylvanian, should have drank a few of those beverages she plagiarized about, and written her own damn sentences!