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An error of omission not intent

There is no act more serious in journalism than plagiarism.

Editor:

Once again Todd Hamilton has demonstrated his lack of professionalism by failing to cite his sources for his Paws for thought, world according to Taffy article.  With the exception of a few local references, most of this article was plagiarized directly from the Internet (http://www.nanceestar.com/DogDictonaryPage8.html).

It is not the puerile subject matter of Hamilton's column which concerns me but rather the act of plagiarism itself.  Plagiarism is a serious breach of journalistic ethics, (a subject with which Mr. Hamilton seems to be unfamiliar) and as such, I intend to report this matter to the B.C. Press Council.

Shame on you Mr. Thomas for not exercising due diligence in confirming Hamilton's sources before publishing this material.

Sincerely,

R.T. Burke

There is no act more serious in journalism than plagiarism.

As published, the Paws for a Cause article on Sept. 4 could be described as plagiarism.

While there are a number of mitigating circumstances, I will not use any of them to excuse my error.

But let's be clear, Shaun Thomas, editor of The Northern View is in no way responsible for the publication of this particular article. Mr. Thomas was on vacation and never saw the article and has no culpability whatsoever. The error was solely mine.

During a late change of the article for the purpose of levity and more information about the Prince Rupert charity fundraiser, and my self-edit, I mistakenly removed the necessary attribution and for that I am deeply, professionally embarrassed and sorry.

The Doggie Dictionary I referenced to present an unbylined promotional article for the SPCA's Paws for a Cause, is readily available online at multiple sources — certainly, not obscure. In fact, R.T. Burke's reference of source is additional to the amalgam of sources I used.

The error was one of omission not intent.

The article had but one goal — promote the BCSPCA's fundraiser, and certainly not defamatory or for personal gain.

Regardless, the error of deleting the necessary attribution was mine and mine alone. And I again apologize.

I truly appreciate, R.T. Burke for bringing my error to our attention. As it is our obligation and duty to keep our elected officials accountable, we also welcome our readers holding us accountable.

Thank you R.T. Burke.

Todd Hamilton

Publisher, The Northern View