A recently launched discussion on LinkedIn generated several comments (including mine). Which is worse: plagiarism or censorship?
I suppose that anyone whose work has ever been plagiarized would find that the bigger offense. The only time I recall my work being plagiarized was when a radio anchor repeated - verbatim - the lead paragraph of a story I had on Page 1 the day before. I wasn't all that upset about it, just annoyed. Of course, I didn't know how many people were listening either.
Censorship, on the other hand, is different. For anyone who firmly believes in the First Amendment, censorship is a battleground when national security is not at stake. It hides or distorts both truth and opinion. And in a free society, we must be able to express both, no matter how much it hurts. That's a chief reason I entered journalism (remember Vietnam and Watergate?). And while I respect the concerns of the families of U.S. soldiers killed in battle, I agree with the Obama administration's decision to reverse an 18-year-old ban on photographing the coffins of soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice. It sends a message that war is ugly but there is indeed a price to pay to maintain our freedoms, especially freedom of expression.
About Me
- Rick Saia
- Rick Saia, currently Editor of the Worcester Business Journal in Worcester, MA, has many years of experience as an editor, reporter, writer, research analyst, and content strategist. He has written about job search and workplace issues, as well as information technology and its role in business. He's also a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and has assisted many with the wording and structure of their resumes. Rick has also been teaching SAT preparation to college-bound teenagers, which helps keep him younger than he really is (but still old enough to know better).
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