Maureen Dowd Accused of Stealing Blogger's Work!

"Oh what a wicked web we weave when first we practice to deceive."
Sir Walter Scott

Maureen Dowd, the Op-Ed Pulitzer Prize award winning Writer is a Fake??

Could it be possible that someone so highly regarded in the field of Journalism and Literature is now being accused of Plagiarism?

Accused of stealing a Blogger's work of all people??

A Blogger named John Marshall, who previously posted his article on the Talking Points website?

Well...I don't know if she did it but this type of incident is occurring more and more. To Bloggers that is.

(Here's a link to the "Exhibit A" evidence article.)

As Newspapers face extinction and the Blogosphere continues to advance all the while illuminating Web 2.0 with real time coverage of daily events, Writers and Reporters like Ms. Dowd are beginning to feel threatened.

Long gone are the days when Writers in order to received their "Newsroom Creds", had to possess two or three degrees and 10 years of newsroom experience just to get a paragraph or two published in a small town, biased chronicle.

It seems now some of those same Credential Writers are competing with "On-line Investigative Bloggers" (everyday citizens) who can research, type and post a story in less than 30 minutes. This includes the use of Spell Check as their Editor.

In addition since the American society is still reeling from a Recession who or why would anyone want to spend extra money on a hard copy of yesterday's chatter, when with a couple of keystrokes they can be whisked away to the White House, Israel, China, etc.,?

This incident (if true) is just another example of why Reporters, Writers, Journalists, Editors and more importantly Publishers need to join hands with Bloggers.

Instead of attempting to ignore us, fight us or destroy the Blogosphere with frivolous lawsuits, why not just give us credit for our work?

Not necessarily monetary credit or honorable mentions, but also in recognizing that we too have a voice.

We too deserve to be recognized for our hard work.

In fact the Pulitzer Prize organization at Columbia University would do well to create a Blogging Category.

No longer will Bloggers, "On Line Journalists", "Investigative Web 2.0 Reporters" "Internet Ambulance Chasers" or whichever moniker we are labeled from day to day, be cast aside or laughed at.

Its clearly obvious that most of us are talented, creative, deep-thinkers with something meaningful to say, thus we bring a wealth of knowledge to the literary table.

At least Maureen Dowd thought so.

Sources: TPM, Huffington Post, TIME, NY Times, Wikipedia