Napa Valley Register Rips Off WII Cosentino Winery Article

The following letter to the Napa Valley Register’s Managing Editor says it all.

Mr. Donnelly:

As strange as it may seem, when I follow up on a story that someone else has broken, I always give them credit.

When I taught journalism at UCLA, that’s one of the things I told my students was an ethical thing to do.

I am sorry that you do not feel the same way.

Financial problems increase for Yountville winery

Of course you are not legally bound to do that.  Facts cannot be copyrighted.

But ethics and professional courtesy often point to higher goals in many areas, not just journalism.

Sincerely,

Lewis Perdue

— end of letter —
It’s a common practice in the media to scavenge facts, re-report them and to get a free ride on the enterprise reporting of others who actually work hard, search for facts and break a sweat when going after a story.

The practice devalues the process, debases those who engage in it and in the end amounts to the legalized theft of the original reporter’s time.

It’s a legal, easy way out.

But as my parents always told me (and we tell our kids): Just because everybody does it, doesn’t mean it’s right.