Here are some basic tips to keep in mind to avoid plagiarism:
- Cite your sources. It’s ok if you find good information that you want to use in an article, but you MUST give credit where credit is due.

- Use direct quotations, but remember that you also must cite your sources when you paraphrase someone’s remarks.

- Whenever possible, gather the information for your article by conducting your own interviews in person or by phone. It’s impossible to plagiarize someone else’s work when you draw from your own sources.

When hiring writers to write articles for you, choose those with proven track records of writing good, strong copy. It is perfectly acceptable to ask a writer for the names and phone numbers of the sources they used when writing the article you hired them for. Don’t be afraid to follow up with those sources. It is better to be overly cautious than to assume everything is on the up and up.

Learning that a reporter has plagiarized his/her work leaves a bad mark not only on that writer, but on the publication that published the work. Ocala Magazine is in that unfortunate position today. They are having to do damage control and the next several months will be spent trying to restore their reputation.

I received one this morning that I thought I would share. Here it is, verbatim:

Job Description:

This is a project for 20 articles at $4.50 per article or less. Your bid MUST be OVER the $50 minimum bid allowed at Elance.

I mention this because Elance keeps canceling this project “because it is under the minimum”……..however this is not the case.

For those who do not understand this, get out your calculators. 20 articles x $4.50 is $90.

Please do not waste your time and mine if (a) your bid is for more than the per article price I have listed or (b) you are not a native English speaker or (c) you cannot supply examples of your work.

I am looking for reliable, accurate SEO team writers to assist in bulk article projects (each article 600-700 words each, any and every subject) that I have undertaken and others that are in the pipeline.

These are easy articles requiring nothing more than a bit of internet research, and may possibly lead to ongoing work if we suit each other.

I will require 2 samples initially, which I am happy to pay for as part of the project (unlike many buyers I do not except you to write samples for nothing!)

Let’s break this down: if you, the writer, accept this job and bid the highest amount she is willing to accept, and write the shortest article she is will to accept, you will be paid a maximum of .0075 cents per word for your article.

What saddens me is that there are writers out there who will bid on this job and very likely be awarded it. Why someone is willing to write an article of 600-700 words for a paltry $4.50 is beyond me. It’s bad business for this woman seeking these writers and for the writers themselves for a few reasons:

1) If you don’t feel as though your writing is worth more than .0075 cents per word, you should consider getting into a different profession. Seriously.

2) If you, as a writer, are willing to work for this Third-World wage, you make it difficult for other writers to earn what they are worth. You dilute the pay scale. The more of these low-paying jobs get accepted, the more people offering these deplorable wages believe they can get away with it.

3) Let’s say this tired phrase together: you get what you pay for. Do not expect “reliable, accurate” writers when you don’t expect to pay them a reasonable rate.

As a writer of articles and press releases in Lakeland, Florida, I can tell you that through the years I wrote for some fairly low wages. But even 16 years ago, I didn’t write for .0075 cents per article.

To those companies in need of article and press release writers, please understand that the caliber of writers you attract has a direct correlation to the wage you are willing to pay for them. If you want quality writing, you need to hire an experienced writer. Experienced writers don’t work for free- or even .0075 cents per word.

If you are in need of professional writers, contact us at Lorrie Walker Communications, Inc. We can help.

This situation brings to light a very important topic in public relations- off-the-record comments. Power’s comment was made during an interview with The Scotsman: “She is a monster, too- that is off the record- she is stooping to anything.”

Power’s fatal flaw is making a statement, then saying it was off the record. That’s not how you do it, and no reporter is obligated to abide by your after-the-fact “off the record” rule.

As a rule, I don’t think it is a great practice to make off-the-record comments, and I don’t routinely advise clients to make them.

Although I don’t advise them, I understand that you can develop a rapport and a mutual trust with a reporter and you feel comfortable making them. Prior to saying anything you don’t want published, ask the reporter about his/her policy regarding off-the-record comments. Some reporters don’t allow them. The reason is because most often, they are not able to publish comments that can’t be attributed to someone, or must be attributed to an anonymous source. Although we all see anonymous sources quoted occasionally in newspapers, there are strict guidelines that reporters and editors use prior to publishing those comments.

If you feel comfortable enough to make off-the-record comments, this is how I recommend you do it:

“The following information I’m going to tell you is off the record.” Then say what you’re going to say. When you are finished making your off-the-record comment, say, “This concludes my off-the-record comment,” or words to that effect.

When in doubt, I refer everyone back to plain old common sense: if you don’t want to see something printed in the paper or put on TV, don’t say it.