DU EXCLUSIVE: CONSERVATIVE NEWSPAPER MAY BE GUILTY OF PLAGIARISM!!! (DU Activists, look here!)

[Dob Bole]

I have recently posted that I've been investigating a local conservative newspaper for plagiarism. Georgia's Republican Governor honored the paper by speaking at an award banquet for them in 2003. Up until this point, I haven't named the paper because I wasn't finished... but here it is: The Citizen News, based in Edison, Georgia http://www.thecitizen.biz/index.php?id=61

Southwest Georgia is the home of President Carter, and to my knowledge has never elected a Republican to Congress. Yet this paper, which claims to be just a local newspaper, spreads bigotry and misinformation to up to 10,000 unsuspecting readers every week. It needs to stop.

The paper is run by a husband-and-wife team, Titus and Donna Miller. Titus is named as the publisher, Donna as the editor. But enough with the pleasantries, let's get down to the evidence! Here are five articles that the paper has apparently plagiarized in 2006:

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Since their website claims that the paper has over 10,000 readers, this means that The Citizen News may have SOLD OVER 50,000 stolen articles to its readers in 2006!

1. "Our Internal Enemy" by Billy F. Hammack. Read the article here:

http://www.thecitizen.biz/index.php?id=1358


Not only is Billy Hammack's article not true, but it was also copied from email forwards just like this one. The emails that Mr. Hammack copied from can be found here:

http://www.snopes.com/rumors/north.asp

http://www.snopes.com/rumors/atta.asp



2. "The History of Memorial Day" by Donna Miller http://www.thecitizen.biz/index.php?id=1791

Editor Donna Miller apparently swiped this "article" from the U.S. Embassy, as you can see here: http://thehague.usembassy.gov/memorial_day.html


3. Donna Miller's column from 05-11-2006 was also stolen from the U.S. Embassy, as can see here: "05-11-06 Column" by Donna Miller http://www.thecitizen.biz/index.php?id=1786

Source of the "article": U.S. Embassy- http://montevideo.usembassy.gov/usaweb/paginas/2006/06-191EN.shtml


4. This one might take the cake, but in April 2006 The Citizen News copied and sold materials from a conservative Christian group called the American Family Association. Here's the Citizen News article: http://www.thecitizen.biz/index.php?id=1715

And here are some examples of AFA campaign materials:

http://www.afa.net/petitions/BCAD/TakeSurvey.asp

And here: http://www.afa.net/petitions/motorcityprideevent.htm


5. Last, but not least, the editor wrote an article on slavery by copying from a school textbook. See the article here: http://www.thecitizen.biz/index.php?id=1648
And part of the textbook here: http://pblmm.k12.ca.us/projects/discrimination/AfricanAmerican/CesarAFRO_SS_Pro/slave3.html

I have contacted Houghton-Mifflin about this, but as of yet have not heard from their legal department.

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I have already contacted the Georgia Press Association, but they are a trade association and cannot get involved unless I first contact the publisher...who is sleeping with the plagiarizing editor! I've also emailed hundreds of people in two counties that the paper serves. Every state, and every district matters. I need the help of DUers to get this information out to blogs and websites, suggest new courses of action (because I've been at this for 3 days and I'm tired,) and of course, keep this thread kicked.

And if you don't mind, you could contact these rival news organizations and encourage them to pick up the story:

[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

Thanks everybody!

John the Conqueror