A small food guide, “Cooks Source” doesn’t have a big audience. The online magazine publishes articles about food and local food. After being called out for stealing content, however, Cooks Source has changed into a poster child for web writer's justice.
'Cooks Source’ has the ‘Tale of Two Tarts’
Monica Gaudio owns and operates the medieval cooking blog, GodeCookery.com. A few years ago, she wrote “A Tale of Two Tarts“, which explored the history of apple pies. Gauido most recently found that for the “Cooks Source” Pumpkin Fest issue, her article had been wholesale lifted from her blog, without her permission.
Brushing off by ‘Cooks Source’
A public apology and a $130 donation to the Columbia School of Journalism is what Monica Gauido asked the "Cook Source" editors for after finding her article in the magazine. The response from "Cook Source" caused people to be interested. Many are mad over it too.
“Yes Monica, I have been doing this for 3 decades, having been an editor at The Voice, Housitonic Home and Connecticut Woman Magazine. I do know about copyright laws. It was ‘my bad’ indeed, and, as the magazine is put together in long sessions, tired eyes and minds something forget to do these things. But honestly Monica, the web is considered ‘public domain’ and you should be happy we just didn’t ‘lift’ your whole article and put someone else’s name on it! It happens a lot, clearly more than you are aware of, especially on college campuses, and the workplace. If you took offence and are unhappy, I am sorry, but you as a professional should know that the article we used written by you was in very bad need of editing, and is much better now than was originally. Now it will work well for your portfolio. For that reason, I have a bit of a difficult time with your requests for monetary gain, albeit for such a ! fine (and very wealthy!) institution. We put some time into rewrites, you should compensate me! I never charge young writers for advice or rewriting poorly written pieces, and have many who write for me… ALWAYS for free!”
The author had been really interested to determine that Judith Griggs as an editor would respond that way.
The reaction to “Cooks Source”
Monica Gaudio shared the “Cooks Source” editor’s email with her social network online. The response was quite strong and came up fast. Internet researchers turned their ire on “Cooks Source” and quickly found that articles in the magazine had been lifted wholesale from Food Network, Martha Stewart, Sunset, and NPR. Advertisers in “Cooks Source” have already been contacted, and pressured to end their business relationship. In short, the local food magazine “Cooks Source” is facing huge public relations issue. "Cooks Source" is not the only one to have this problem as content is so important now and days. Did "Cooks Source" get caught in something normal that happens or should they be in trouble for this?
Citations
Salon.com
salon.com/life/feature/2010/11/05/cooks_source_internet_revenge
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