Doug,

I have been a fan of your writing in the <a href=”http://carrollspaper.1upsoftware.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&subsectionID=4&articleID=3693″>Carroll paper for some time now.  Your editorial commentary is funny, insightful, and well thought.  

Yet, I've been troubled lately reading your commentary on Iowa Independent. Your columns have seemed – familiar. Now I know why. You have reprinted a number of your columns from the Carroll paper as original columns on Iowa Independent. You can find the column I'm posting this in response to <a href=”http://carrollspaper.1upsoftware.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&subsectionID=4&articleID=3693″>here. The original article was posted to the web on March 29, 2007 at 11:53 a.m. Here is the opening paragraph:

Iowa men should watch the 1983 movie “Scarface.”

Over and over.

Not for the iconic moments provided by Al Pacino's Tony Montana with his ridiculous Cuban affectation and over-the-top lines like, “Say hello to my little friend.” (In reference to his machine gun before he starts mowing down rivals in a drug war.)

This is EXACTLY the same opening paragraph as the article here on Iowa Independent.

According to the Iowa Independent “Code of Ethics“:

New Journalist Fellows should inform the public of news stories and issues without letting improper relationships compromise their integrity.

New Journalist Fellows should:

* Always be fair, but always favor truth over balance.

* <bold>Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived, and disclose unavoidable conflicts.</bold>

* Remain active, interested, and involved members of society without letting their activities unduly influence their duties to their readers and the public.

* Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun employment or engagement in organizations that would compromise professional integrity.

* Hold the powerful accountable without exception.

* Maintain integrity by resisting pressure from advertisers and special interests to influence news coverage.

* Keep a clear-eyed sense of distrust of sources offering information for favors or money.

At the very least, if you are going to re-publish material from previously written columns – please give yourself appropriate credit with a citation or reference to the previous column. I come to Iowa Independent to read fresh and NEW commentary on issues relevant to Iowa progressives – not to read rehashed editorials from a column I already enjoy reading.

Doug,

I have been a fan of your writing in the Carroll paper for some time now.  Your editorial commentary is funny, insightful, and well thought.  

Yet, I’ve been troubled lately reading your commentary on Iowa Independent. Your columns have seemed – familiar. Now I know why. You have reprinted a number of your columns from the Carroll paper as original columns on Iowa Independent. You can find the column I’m posting this in response to here. The original article was posted to the web on March 29, 2007 at 11:53 a.m. Here is the opening paragraph:

Iowa men should watch the 1983 movie “Scarface.”

Over and over.

Not for the iconic moments provided by Al Pacino’s Tony Montana with his ridiculous Cuban affectation and over-the-top lines like, “Say hello to my little friend.” (In reference to his machine gun before he starts mowing down rivals in a drug war.)

This is EXACTLY the same opening paragraph as the article here on Iowa Independent.

According to the Iowa Independent “Code of Ethics“:

New Journalist Fellows should inform the public of news stories and issues without letting improper relationships compromise their integrity.

New Journalist Fellows should:

* Always be fair, but always favor truth over balance.

* Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived, and disclose unavoidable conflicts.

* Remain active, interested, and involved members of society without letting their activities unduly influence their duties to their readers and the public.

* Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun employment or engagement in organizations that would compromise professional integrity.

* Hold the powerful accountable without exception.

* Maintain integrity by resisting pressure from advertisers and special interests to influence news coverage.

* Keep a clear-eyed sense of distrust of sources offering information for favors or money.

At the very least, if you are going to re-publish material from previously written columns – please give yourself appropriate credit with a citation or reference to the previous column. I come to Iowa Independent to read fresh and NEW commentary on issues relevant to Iowa progressives – not to read rehashed editorials from a column I already enjoy reading.