As someone who has written for Poynter, this story caught my attention. I was relieved to notice that the “over attribution” began after my tenure as a contributor for E-Media Tidbits.

The Romenesko Saga
Some questions for Poynter about recent changes on its fabled site By Erika Fry via The Romenesko Saga : CJR.

 

This question of attribution has been on my mind lately, because I’ve been using and teaching students to use storify.com and because I have predicted that remix would come to journalism some day.

In remix, the key is both the attribution, which in art works is often called a tribute, and the transformation of the original into something new.

Essentially, what Fry’s story in CJR is about, is the unexpected result of some questions she raised about how Romenesko+ was remixsing news stories. Romenesko in the early days, was like a learned and trust-worthy Drudge. Apparently, the column had been edging toward appropriation, without the vital remix element — transformation. What are you adding to the work you are talking about? How have you preserved the value of the orgininal story by leaving a reason to click that link back, and at the seme time, made it your own.

Did you juxtapose some ideas or words? Did you synthesize ideas form several places into a new formulation? Did you point of view add a new slant that exposes new meaning, but makes us check the orginal out?

The lesson is, don’t over attribute. Remix, it seems, has finally come to journalism.

Related articles

• Jim Romenesko, Media News Blogger, Resigns From Poynter (mashable.com)
• On The Romenesko Non-Scandal (shortformblog.tumblr.com)
• ‘Original Media Aggregator’ Romenesko Resigns From Poynter Institute (paidcontent.org)
• Romenesko resigns from Poynter (usatoday.com)
• The Intolerable Evolution of Poynter’s “Romenesko+” (theawl.com)