Write [email protected] and ask her to look into allegations of plagiarism by Margaret Wente.

The charges of plagiarism against Margaret Wente of the Globe & Mail are spreading like wildfire through social media. What started as an immaculately researched expose of Wente’s ‘borrowing’ of other journalists’ words has spread far enough that professional journalists are freaking.

Since the media itself is reluctant to police its wayward souls, I decided to pen an email to the Public Editor at the Globe & Mail to see if any action will result. I doubt it but if Sylvia Stead does not take action now, the shit will surely hit the fan.

Please write your letter (be nice!) NOW to:

[email protected]

Hello Sylvia

As part of the job as public editor, you must address the public’s complaints about alleged misconduct by your writers, editors, cartoonists, etc. At this moment, the public is talking about one of your writers who has been caught allegedly plagiarizing other writers, including Dan Gardner, over a two-year period. This is serious stuff. I hate to be a concern troll, but established journalists are taking notice. It won’t be long before your competitors also take notice and act.

At the very least, these accusations need to be addressed by the Globe & Mail sooner than later. In this world of social media, it has been shown that a single blog can affect the journalistic discourse. In Wente’s case, several blogs and many more people on Twitter are discussing this matter. That number is growing with each day.

May I suggest it is time for you act on this matter. I think it only fair to Canadians who rely on the Globe & Mail for ethical and perceptive commentary to get just that – not recycled material supposedly from a Globe author but actually duplicated from a prior, unidentified media source.

Media Culpa, a blog that researches and reports on journalism, has done immaculate work documenting the ‘similarities’ between Wente’s words and those of previous works by other journalists.

Other blogs have expanded on Media Culpa’s posts. If you haven’t already been apprised of the social media reaction to the charges against Margaret Wente, you might be interested in following up with these sources:

http://storify.com/orwellsbastard/the-wente-plagiarism-allegations-grow-legs?utm_campaign=&awesm=sfy.co_e8xL&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=sfy.co-twitter&utm_content=storify-pingback

http://letfreedomrain.blogspot.ca/2012/09/margaret-wentes-plagiarism-problem.html

Thank you for your time,

Jymn Parrett

Stay tuned for the Globe & Mail’s non-response. I will keep you posted of the dead air.

X-posted at Let Freedom Rain under different title