Crowley complained that the Tribune appropriated “the heart of” the Quaere article and copied his analysis, style, and structure. He asked that the Tribune print an acknowledgment that their story was taken “in large part” from the Quaere story. The Tribune refused, but offered to print a letter from Crowley about the newspaper’s handling of the story. Crowley declined the offer.

Response of the news organization: The Tribune editor in his written response to the complaint argued that although printing an acknowledgment with the story that the study was first brought to public attention in Quaere would have been the “gracious” thing to do, the paper was correct in rejecting Crowley’s request for a printed acknowledgment. He wrote that the paper acted correctly in offering instead to print a letter to the editor from Crowley explaining “his criticism of our procedure in handling the story.”

Determination of the Council: The Hennepin County aspect of the research studied by both reporters provided the logical news tie-in for both newspapers; thus, the similarity in focus is not surprising. There is no assurance that without having first read the Quaere story, the Tribune reporter would not have chosen the same facts for his lead or arranged the information in the same order. There was insufficient evidence that the Tribune appropriated Crowley’s earlier story “in large part.”

The Tribune offered an appropriate remedy to Crowley by offering him access to the letters column. Acknowledgment of the Quaere article within the Tribune story would have been appropriate, but was not ethically required.

The complaint against the newspaper is not upheld.