On attribution, linking and fairness

I've been thinking a lot about attribution (and linking) lately and how to create a better standard on the web. It's hard to get the hobby blogger to comply to non-existent rules when even the big guys aren't generous themselves.

This story annoys:

Missouri Town Finds Drug Agent Is Really an Impostor.

Currently it's the centerpiece at NYTimes.com.

Here's the fifth graf:

But after a reporter for the local weekly newspaper made a few calls about that claim, Gerald’s anti-drug campaign abruptly unraveled after less than five months.

Then finally at pararaphs 23 and 24, you find out who really did the legwork:

When Linda Trest, 51, a reporter at The Gasconade County Republican, started hearing complaints from people whose homes had been searched, she began making inquiries about Mr. Jakob.

“Once I got his name, I hit the computer and within an hour I had all the dirt on this guy,” Ms. Trest said.

Not that the NYTimes links to them, but the Gasconade County Republican does have a website. And one would think a link would be decent, though I'd say I'd would be far more fair if Trest got credit by name and newspaper at least in graf five.

Likewise, on June 15, the top right of A1 in the NYT was this very long story:

In ’74 Thesis, the Seeds of McCain’s War Views

In paragraph 36 you find out where the Times got the report the story hinges on:

The paper was obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and provided to The New York Times by Matt Welch, an author of a book about Mr. McCain.

Wow, thanks. So Welch does the FoIA request, and then gives you the report and not only do you bury that in graf 36, but you don't even mention the name of the book, which only came out in October? Ouch.

And of course if you don't name it, it's hard to link to it, huh?

McCain: The Myth of a Maverick.

(Matt by the way, one of my cronies from college, mentions this incident on the Reason blog (where's he's editor) and on his personal site (as it relates to the Los Angeles Times.)

Labels: media

- posted by Amy @ 6/30/2008 07:25:00 PM