Plagiarist Jeffrey resigns, uses "Um, define 'plagiarism'" defense

Steve Jeffrey has resigned as editor of The Anchor, a day after my original post showing proof of his plagiarism of articles by multiple writers over the course of the last year. I wish I could say for sure it was my post yesterday which made him decide it was time to go, but I doubt he ever saw it.

“I really don’t have any way to defend myself," Jeffrey told the Calgary Herald in an e-mail, "I did use articles for inspiration, but thought that I had changed the content enough to comply," after which his pants inexplicably caught fire and his nose grew as long as a telephone wire.

The first part of the sentence was true, however. There was no defense. No defense at all against side by side comparisons of other writers' original work and columns showing his co-opting of the same text, with miniscule alterations, under his own name.

I asked my 5th grader if he would ever turn a paper in to his teacher that was 95-100% somebody else's writing. "Are you kidding me, dad?" he replied.

Ah, youth.

Here is hoping Mr. Jeffrey finds success in a field other than journalism. I actually mean that sincerely. With his flair for verbal "spin," may I suggest a new career in politics?

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