Magazine apologizes for lifting blogger's story
Cooks Source, which last week aroused anger over publishing a story without permission, has now apologized and is promising to change the way it acquires articles.
Following a huge public outcry that lighted up the Internet last week, food magazine Cooks Source has apologized for its actions in publishing a writer's online story without her permission.
In a statement that appeared this week on its Web site, the magazine acknowledged that the online article by writer Monica Gaudio was published in Cooks Source without her approval. The magazine apologized for the error, claiming it was the "oversight of a small, overworked staff." Per Gaudio's instructions, Cooks Source said that it made a donation to the Columbia School of Journalism as well as to the Western New England Food Bank.
To avoid future such issues, Cooks Source has promised to publish articles only with the written consent of the writers and to list all sources of an article.
Cooks Source also took the opportunity to condemn the people who "harassed" it and its advertisers via Facebook and other online sources last week. The magazine was on the receiving end of a torrent of angry comments on its Facebook page, which it claimed was hacked later in the week. Though the page is still up and still getting nasty feedback, Cooks Source said it will no longer participate in Facebook.
But in its statement, the magazine failed to comment on the e-mail reply that Gaudio reportedly received from editor Judith Griggs, which triggered much of the Internet outcry beyond the actual lifting of the story. In the e-mail, Griggs claimed that the Internet is considered public domain and that she actually did Gaudio a favor by reprinting the story and rewriting it without charging her for the privilege.
In her response to the Cooks Source apology, Gaudio blogged the following on her own site:
"I have, in fact, seen the post on the Cooks Source page with the apology. I think that is about the best I am going to get. I am; however, completely unsure whether or not any donations were made either to the Columbia School of Journalism or the Food Bank -- but -- I have made some phone calls to look into it and I shall let you know, one way or another."