I agree. That's why it is our responsibility to parade the other names out and discuss the bigger issues that you note here. -----Original Message----- From: Anita Fleming-Rife [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2003 4:46 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: blair Ali, Thanks for the query. I agree with you. I was surprised that one of the allegations against him included: "never leaving the newsroom--covering news by phone" because, I was shocked to see this as everyday practice at the Philadelphia Inquirer last summer, this practice seemed to be the norm. Most people did not go on the streets--the phone was the most used tool for gathering news. I agree with you about how common place plagiarism has become. Even so, I do not condone it or defend it, but unless a whole string of others who have been accused in the past few years are brought before a judge and jury at AEJ, then he should not either. The only name that is consistently cited in journalism text books when it comes to plagiarism is Janet Cooke and a good many others have been accused before and after her. I would hate to see Blair added as the second consistent one to be recorded in the annals of journalism history. -- A. Fleming-Rife, Ph.D. Assistant Professor 304A James College of Communications The Pennsylvania State University State College, PA 16802 (O) 814-865-8135