Several folks have commented on John Temple’s apparent reluctance to use the word “plagiarism” when discussing the Rocky Mountain News editorial that lifted passages from a blog and the Washington Post. Westword‘s Michael Roberts asked the paper’s editor and publisher about his creative phrasing and got what seems like a perfectly understandable response.

But why did Temple describe the offense as “inappropriately duplicated wording” instead of plagiarism? Temple discloses that a “bad experience” in a previous arbitration case he declines to specify partly inspired his avoidance of the P-word. (Most likely, he’s referring to a ’90s faceoff with ex-music writer Justin Mitchell.) Even so, he doubts that any reader would be confused about whether Beal had done wrong.

Daniel Brogan
Daniel Brogan
Daniel Brogan is the founder, CEO, and Editor-in-Chief of 5280 Publishing, Inc.