Taking B/R To The Next Level: Say No To Plagiarism...(Rules of Journalism V)

Over the past month or so, a few writers on the network, including Alan Bass, have been trying to convince their peers to help make Bleacher Report official.

Like Alan says, we have to change our ways; this is compulsory if we want to take Bleacher Report to the next level.

The Rules of Journalism is a series I've been working extremely hard on. The first time around, the response was unbelievable; ever since, it seems to have died down, but this edition of the Rules of Journalism has been brought up as one in a series of articles that will try and promote the importance of "Changing our ways."

I urge you to take a look at the first four editions of this series, if you haven't already, because they touch upon very important topics that even our young crop of writers can refer to.

Previously on Rules of Journalism (Rules of Journalism, Part I : Every Dog Has It's Day...), I had focused on being patient, waiting for your chance, and how to deal with criticism. (This was selected as B/R's Pick of the Day and can be very helpful.)

The second edition of the much-hyped series could not match the response the first one received, but, nevertheless, it explained the importance of learning from your mistakes (Rules of Journalism, Part II : Learn From Your Mistakes...).

The third edition was quite a special piece for me, as it was my 300th article for Bleacher Report. I was delighted by the response; the article emphasized the importance of standing out and proving yourself by taking everything in your own hands (Rules of Journalism, Part III : Take Everything In Your Own Hands...).

The fourth edition touched on the importance of not giving up, even if you don't get the desired response (Rules of Journalism, Part IV: Be Prepared To... Bring It On...).

Welcome to the fifth edition of Rules of Journalism, Part V: Say No to Plagiarism...

I didn't intend on making this the fifth edition of my series, but it has been brought to my attention by Khalid Shakran that plagiarism is an evil which has formed a prominent part of our community.

I won't go about naming writers who have been resorting to this kind of pathetic journalism.

Bleacher Report has certain "Terms of Use" that are required to be followed, regardless of our present situation.

Plagiarism is a disgrace to any community; if you take credit for somebody else's work, it ain't right.

Bleacher Report is an Open Source Network, so any recognition you get for plagiarism isn't ever worthwhile.

If you quote a player or manager for a big sporting event, try to source it; I've made mistakes and we all make mistakes, but it's about time that we correct them. Only then will B/R go toward the "next level."

If you've been reading my Rules of Journalism series, you'll know about how a writer can attain "TOTAL SATISFACTION," or tell himself, "I put my heart into this."

If plagiarism steps into the equation, all that is total bullshit!

If you are new to the community, do us a favour: Go through a couple articles from some of the Top Writers on the site—Zander Freund, Andrew McNair, Alan Bass, and Andrew Kneeland, to name a few—and then start right, so you are at least informed of the way to write a proper article.

After all, that is the duty of every journalist—yes, even fan journalists.