This appears to be a contentious issue. I love the fact that posters here post links of other football articles from other sources.

Others cogently argue it is stealing content.

In theory it is true. In practice journalism is a cut throat business with plagiarism rife. There is also an incredible amount of ego and lack of ethics in the media industry. The 'story' as opposed to 'the truth' often takes precedence.

Also, some media organisations on the internet , like Fox and The Australian, want viewers to pay for content. I love it when people post articles from their sites for viewers to read for free here.

Some years ago I was part of a group who set up a football website specialising in football stats and analysis . Another part of it was trying to interview players and coaches. We intended to quote them word for word, with no omissions of anything they said. No agenda on our part - truth was paramount. Yet people we interviewed were so careful due to having been burnt by the media on previous occasions.

Many in the media, and I 've had a lot of experience in political issues, fabricate and misrepresent people on numerous occasions. A specific agenda or line on a story appears to be paramount in print or on TV.

People are often used by the media. I've frequently been misquoted. Key phrases have been omitted to create a 'story' very different from what I've written or spoken.

Journos/reporters want a specific angle, and sometimes ask questions on air/TV that they said they wouldn't prior to the interview. Sadly, lying and fabrication is rife in the industry.

In some cases the media have been very constructive and accurately reported organisations I've worked for, or been part of.

How this relates to cutting and pasting on 442 is probably that big organisations' articles being cut and pasted here, compared to very small ones, have different ramifications.

Also, do we know that the journalist who has compiled the story has not plagiarised fellow colleagues in the industry?

I'd advocate continuing to cut and paste football articles from other sources wherever possible on 442.

One event that had major ramifications in Australia was Pim Verbeek having a cup of coffee with a journo. Off the record, and in confidence, Pim expressed his view about Australian players being better of training in Europe than playing in the HAL. Pim never intended it be publicised.

I think it is good that 442 lets posters cut and paste football articles.

Edited by Decentric: 10/5/2016 11:38:06 AM

Contentious? There is nothing contentious. It's theft if it's not blocked by a pay wall imo.

But JoFFA rules here so apparently it doesn't apply to him or KA.

Which I find hilariously ironic that we have to access the sit for KA's articles but he allows the theft of others.

If I hadn't had personal experience of the media, I would agree with you.

Since I have, In such a ruthless, cynical industry I find it hard to have empathy for it. You might disagree, but I like the fact articles are cut and pasted here from football sites that make people pay for content.

I'm inconsistent about this but meh...

If the author isn't likely to get many clicks, I just cut and paste a bit of the article and provide the link to the rest and suggest that people go to the link to give the author the credit he deserves.

But if it's something from the Herald Sun or whatever, I'm less worried about cutting and pasting the entire thing.

My only determining factor is a pay wall. It's not going to kill you to open a page.

I like the idea of posting only the first say 5 or 10 paragraphs and then making people click on the link if they want to read more. Generates traffic for that site and it should also improve on 442s own page rank under Google...

It might be a bit more work for Joffa and the reader but I think this should be the way forward. Regardless of if the content is on the Hun or whatever...

This has to be implemented imo. Best for all.

If you want the policy changed in regards to the cutting and pasting of articles then you have to take your concerns up with Kevin Airs.

I will not be changing my cutting and pasting style until so directed.

There is no consensus on the issue.

We differ with our views.

I've been keen to see this issue discussed dispassionately.

To get into football journalism is an interesting process.

I've coached players who now play senior NPL football, have done FFA community coaching courses and have journalism degrees. Yet they cannot get into the football media industry. They have excellent writing skills, and a decent football pedigree.

Others in the industry are good writers and trained journos, but basically know little about football that the average fan on the terraces doesn't.

Given this scenario it doesn't bother me that they are are cut and pasted.

Conversely, I'm not sure what journalistic background Kate Cohen and Tim Palmer have, who write and analyse for the Leopold Method. They are both trained FFA Advanced coaches.

The work they do demonstrates a reasonable knowledge of football. To me they are more worthy of working in football than trained journos who have little football insight.

In a fairly recent football tournament in 442 mag only Aiden Ormond provided any genuine analysis of teams going into the tournament.

It would be interesting to hear Kevin Airs, Aiden, other 442 journos, etc, throw some light on their background in football before they wrote about it.

One unnamed journo who at one stage worked for FFA, provides nothing more than the average fan on the terraces does. I'm astonished he is a journo working in football.

Cutting and pasting of some journos who've entered the industry over more deserving others, who I think have better credentials , becomes an interesting discussion.

KA, care to comment?

I already have. It is too much for the mods to police - it's either all or nothing. If anyone ever requests their work is removed or not used in future, we will naturally oblige, but we're not implementing partial edits.

Thanks and understood