Borderland Beat click on any image to enlarge
Is ‘The Most Important Website In Mexico’ Stealing Work From Mexican Journalists?
TUCSON, Ariz. — Recently, a carefully constructed narrative surfaced along the Mexican border. Its creators have been interviewed by everyone from the Texas Observer to television stations and online outlets. The narrative is that of a young woman fed up with the travesties that occur every day in Mexico; the murders and corruption and violence and barbarities that have dominated the headlines for most of the past decade. She says her name is “Lucy,” she is in her mid-20s and is a journalist in northern Mexico.
The country’s news reporters are targeted and assassinated for reporting on the situation, the narrative goes. They are cowed into silence. Then one day, this woman steps in fill the void. She begins to blog about what’s happening in her country, telling readers about the atrocities that reporters can no longer write about. “Lucy” calls it Blog Del Narco.
The narrative is a fascinating one, complete with drama and danger and a lone figure standing up for the truth. And now, that writer has written a book. This book is so dangerous, states her publisher that, “it’s a certainty she will be horribly murdered.”
But just how much of it is true?
A review of recent stories by the Fronteras Desk shows the owners of Blog Del Narco have published the same stories as the Mexican journalists they say they had to replace. It’s not known whether all the stories on the site were plagiarized from the reporters who actually wrote them, or if the Blog Del Narco writers simply lifted their stories from the same press bulletins that reporters received. At least one reporter now says his story was plagiarized.
What is clear however, is that Blog Del Narco reports on the exact same stories the Mexican journalists report on. Yet the blog, and now a new book written by the blog owners, claims they are the only ones reporting the truth in Mexico.
In a blurb about the new Blog Del Narco book, the blog’s owners write: “The authorities and the traditional mediums of information wanted to create the image that here, nothing is happening when really, everything is happening.”
On Tuesday, the writers of Blog del Narco gave an interview to The Stream, an Al Jazeera online video show. The voice of “Lucy” was masked. It said, “If I didn’t do it, nobody was going to do it.”
That same day, Blog Del Narco published this story: “Armed commando robs armored trucked from Mexican Attorney General’s Office in Chihuahua.”
The story appeared nine hours earlier on Excelsior, a major Mexican news website: “Commando extracts armored trucks from Mexican Attorney General’s Office in Chihuahua.”
Here’s the first sentence in Excelsior’s story: “An armed commando broke into a lot of the Mexican Attorney General’s Office in the city of Chihuahua and using tow trucks, they took two armored vehicles and equipment for cloning credit cards.”
Here’s the story in Blog del Narco: “An armed commando broke into a lot of the Mexican Attorney General’s Office in the city of Chihuahua and using tow trucks, they took two armored vehicles and equipment for cloning credit cards.”
In the days after that story appeared, “Lucy” gave an interview to KENS 5 in Texas. “Journalism died long ago in Mexico,” she said.
Here’s Blog Del Narco’s story on a murdered bus driver in Guerrero: “Driver resists a kidnapping and is assassinated in Guerrero.”
Here’s the same story in Diario de Guerrero: “Bus driver killed inside his home.”
The piece’s opening sentence in Blog Del Narco: “Struggling not to be taken by unknown men, a busdriver was murdered yesterday in the early morning hours.”
And in Diario de Guerrero: “Struggling not to be taken by unknown men, a busdriver was murdered yesterday in the early morning hours.”
On its face, Blog Del Narco’s website seems to provide a solid platform for people to report on violence. The moderator posts stories and videos while readers leave comments, tips and interact with each other in a chatbox.
The blog has become a go-to place for news about violence in Mexico. Along with tips from readers, people also send in videos. The site claims to attract 25 million hits a month.
The owners of Blog Del Narco maintain that journalists are not doing their job in Mexico. And yet, the same stories run word-for-word on both the blog and the websites of major Mexican newspapers.
From the article, “Police capture El Yoco,” in El Sol de Cuernavaca on Tuesday, April 2: “This Monday afternoon, in the middle of a firefight between police officers and presumed hitmen of the gang, Los Rojos, Luis Alberto Benitez Rodriguez “El Yoco” the brother of Miguel Angel Benitez Rodriguez, alias, “El Chisto”, was arrested … “
Blog Del Narco’s version: “This Monday afternoon, in the middle of a firefight between police officers and presumed hitmen of the gang, Los Rojos, Luis Alberto Benitez Rodriguez “El Yoco” the brother of Miguel Angel Benitez Rodriguez, alias, “El Chisto”, was arrested … “
Recently, the Texas Observer and The Guardian profiled “Lucy,” just in time for the release of the Blog Del Narco book, entitled “Morir Por La Verdad,” or “Dying for the Truth.”
The Guardian journalist Rory Carroll would not respond to requests for interview.
But in his story, Carroll writes: “Blog Del Narco sprang up three years ago to fill the vacuum left by cowed journalistic colleagues who could not even report vital information such as narco roadblocks and kidnappings.”
This post on Blog Del Narco, from Wednesday, April 3: “They execute El Pantera, a Hitman for La Familia Michoacan.”
And the same story one full day earlier, published in Cambio de Michoacán, Tuesday, April 2: “They murder a delinquent in Buenavista; nicknamed El Pantera.”
Adam Parfrey owns Feral House, the publisher of “Dying for the Truth.” He refused to answer questions about the veracity of his claim that Blog Del Narco was the only outlet daring to report on violence.
When the Fronteras Desk pressed him, he wrote [sic], “now I know your reason for this “interview”–to minimize and belittle a popular blog because it no doubt gets millions more readers than whatever it is you do… by the way, you have not read the book so you cannot accuse it of plagiarizing anything at all… blog del narco has hundreds of intentionally silent partners who do not want credit for fear of being killed… unfortunately it seems your ulterior motive makes any communication with us a fools errand…”
Yet consider this story:
Blog Del Narco’s post: “5 people executed in Guerrero. They leave a message.”
On the same day, the same story in La Prensa: “5 people executed in Guerrero. They leave a message.”
This story in La Prensa was not reported anonymously. It had reporter Paco Zorroza’s byline on it.
Keeping Parfrey’s argument in mind, we asked Zorroza. He said his story was an original story and not a rewrite of a press release. His story appears on Blog Del Narco, plagiarized word-for-word.
Zorroza also said he never made an agreement with Blog Del Narco to use his stories.
Asked how this “silent agreement” was reached with Mexican journalists, Parfrey wrote, “Your intentions here are obvious and shameful. I won’t further respond to such garbage.”
More than a week before the book’s listed publication date, on April 7, Parfrey defended the origins of its material in the book’s review section on Amazon.com.
Parfrey was responding to another critic who was also questioning the apparent plagiarism on Blog Del Narco.
He wrote [sic]: “Yesterday I received a call from the woman in charge of Blog Del Narco. I asked her about charges of “plagarism” and she remarked that the blog’s information comes from journalists who wish to remain anonymous due to fear of being killed, police who wish to remain anonymous due to fear of being killed, and civilians who remain anonymous due to fear of being killed. Further she mentioned that every single word of the book was written by her.
But like practically every non-fiction book written throughout the history of mankind, she accesses information sent her by other sources, particularly in this dangerous situation which has been fatal to friends of hers. She also mentioned that members of political parties are trying to minimize her book as well as the information seen online. I question your motives. You have not read the book. You are trying to disparage work of a brave person. You are a bad man.”
The issues here are problematic. On the one hand, Mexican reporters who copy and paste press bulletins are parroting the words of local government. That’s not conducive to a healthy and free press.
But on the other hand, the Blog Del Narco is stealing the work of legitimate reporters who risk their lives to write original stories. The stories we reviewed show that those that weren’t plagiarized were simply lifted verbatim from the exact same press releases of the government the blog criticizes. In either case, the Blog Del Narco then sells itself as the last vestige of honest journalism in the country.
That is a much more uncomfortable narrative than the one being presented by the publishers of Blog Del Narco, Feral House, or the American news media helping to further it.
Blog Del Narco has many questions to answer about its hero narrative. The owners of the site, “Lucy” or whomever, have not responded to inquiries from the Fronteras Desk.
Chivis:
To read this article in Spanishlink here
Others have been writing about this issue. Read an article by K. Mennem of the San Diego Reader and posted on BB forum by Dr.Jane HERE
Below are Mennem’s remarks click to enlarge:
An interesting tweet exchange between the Guardian and Mennem, notice the excuse is different than the; ‘I can’t tell you which journalists are giving me the information, they may be killed’, this one is ‘they never said they write all their material’.
The following is written by K Mennem related his personal account:
Rory Carroll wrote this story- ‘They stole our dreams’: blogger reveals cost of reporting Mexico’s drug wars
“Exclusive: Anonymous author of celebrated Blog del Narco speaks for first time about the risks – and reveals she is a woman”
Reported in partnership with the Texas Observer
My conversation with him on twitter:
from @K. Mennem to @rorycarroll72 @GuardianUS You do realize that over 95% of Blog del Narcos info is complete plagiarism right?
-Before he replies, Erin Siegal a reporter based in Tijuana jumps in-
from @erinsiegal >It makes me wonder about copyright law in Mex, something I don’t know much about….. @K_Mennem @rorycarroll72 @GuardianUS
from @erinsiegal to @K_Mennem @rorycarroll72 @GuardianUS Also makes me wonder is the US publisher of the book will be liable for any possible plagiarism…?
Rory Carroll then responds:
from @rorycarroll72 to @K_Mennem @erinsiegal The blog aggregated its own and others’ material, didn’t claim it was all original reporting. Readers knew that
from @rorycarroll72 to @K_Mennem Attribution cd and should be better, agreed, but in Mx info vacuum getting stories out + repeating them is hugely valuable.
I then responded:
from @K_Mennem to @rorycarroll72 Your article failed to mention that as well. You make it sound as if they are collecting anonymous sources and writing it
from @K_Mennem to @rorycarroll72 Blog del Narco is a collection of articles from all over the web, social media, and newspapers. From MX and US.
from @K_mennem to @rorycarroll72 It has been for years. Owners and those writing about BdN should state what it is, not mislead readers.
from @K_mennem to @rorycarroll72 Credit needs to be given to the reporters from Zeta magazine, El-Mexicano in TJ, El Sol de Cuernavaca, and more
from @K_mennem to @rorycarroll72 these journalists are putting their ass on the line daily, but when Americans read this they give Blog del Narco credit
At this point Rory probably realized he had messed up with his article and did not respond. Erin and others chimed in. There is more, probably would be just as easy to read it off my twitter. Sorry if this was a confusing format.
from @erinsiegal to @K_Mennem @rorycarroll72 Agree with K. on this one… it would be interesting to take 50 recent posts & find out the % of, um, “aggregation”
Chivis: ”K” then moves to Amazon where he has an exchange with the publisher, it is blatantly obvious that either the publisher/Texas Observer or The Guardian are thick or just want the fantasy and not the truth.
K. Mennem:
Note: Adam Parfrey is a publisher and editor for the company which released the Blog del Narco book about Lucy. This conversation took place on Amazon, where I knew a publisher would eventually check the comments.
Stolen info, April 4, 2013
By K.Mennem “K.Mennem”
This review is from: Dying for the Truth: Undercover Inside the Mexican Drug War by the Fugitive Reporters of Blog del Narco (Paperback)
95% or more of Blog Del Narcos info is complete plagiarism. These are not anonymous sources. They are copy and paste jobs from news-sites and blogs across Mexico and the US border region. They give no credit to authors or other websites. They rarely post info first.
I wish you would have done some research before this was published.
Adam Parfrey says:
this is a LIE from a guy who runs crappier and more derivative blogs based on Blog del Narco…
K.Mennem says:
You clearly have no idea what your talking about then if you do not know where Blog del Narco gets their info. It may be useful in the U.S. for collection of info. In Mexico it is pure plagiarism.
A SPECIFIC CASE OF PLAGIARISM
A colleague of mine, wrote this article on April 2nd, 2013.
http://www.oem.com.mx/elsoldecuernavaca/notas/n2934104.htm
Blog del Narco copy and pasted his article two days later and published it as there own. Giving NO CREDIT!
http://www.blogdelnarco.com/2013/04/taxista-es-ejecutado-en-morelos/#more-18490
K.Mennem says:
The point is this person is getting credit for others work. She is not giving credit to those she steals from. How are you ok with that?
Michel Marizco wrote in 2010 about the blatant plagiarism by Blog del Narco
http://borderreporter.com/2010/08/blogueros-no-periodista/
Adam Parfrey says:
Maybe K. Mennem will let on that he has an ulterior motive here, that he’s linked to competitive blogs of Blog Del Narco and obviously jealous that Blog Del Narco gets a great deal more attention. BTW, who the f..k cares? It’s all about reporter the reality of the grotesque drug culture and running for one’s life for reporting it.
K. Mennem says:
I write, contribute, and photograph for numerous news agencies. I also run two blogs and contribute to one. I spend a good portion of my time IN Mexico. My writings are not competing with anyone, as I work with journalists all over Mexico and the US. This is merely about hard working journalists getting their works stolen and not getting a mere word of credit. That’s all. Blog del Narco and MundoNarco have been stealing articles and info for years. Its nothing new. Go to Twitter, journalists are questioning Blog del Narco now more than ever.
You on the other hand as the publisher, have a lot on the line. I understand why you are upset now.
Adam Parfrey says:
Unfortunately, you have become a troll, trying to destroy the competition. Fortunately for Feral House, readers find great value in the book here. Just look at the sales rank.
K.Mennem says:
I am just informing readers who have been misinformed. I am not trying to sell books or advertisements Adam.
I wish you the best of luck with your book. I am sure I will look through it.
Adam Parfrey says:
you must know, of course, that reviewing a book you haven’t even looked at is against the rules here…
K.Mennem says:
That is fine. Are you on Twitter? We can move this discussion there.
Adam stopped responding….
Chivis: I have written about the issue for years. The blog has always helped themselves to the work of others, including mine which I write in English or translate to English. It seems that in the late months of 2010, in my opinion they were conducting a PR project announcing they were threaten resulting in the temporary closing of the site, then a rebirth as a non narco reporting blog. This farce continued for a while as they reported on subjects such as the environment.
Then without notice they were back full speed reporting narco articles, and yes taking the material from others. I wondered why they conducted the obvious ruse, but now it makes perfect sense. BDN has from the beginning set their sights on the most profitable avenue to make money. It was always towards publishing a book.
They began to clean up their website a couple of months ago. Gone were the nude photos of women which at one time including open legged photos. Gone were the vile comment threads. Gone were the many flashing advertisements. The website now presents as one that truly has one objective to bring information to the people of Mexico. Nice prep for a book release.
In preparation for this post I checked BDN with the thought of gathering the latest posts and track down the true authors of the posts, which is easy to do. What I found was there are only two recent posts, those of last Wednesday April 10th.
The first BDN post:
5 personas son ejecutadas en Guerrero; dejan mensajes
BDN changed the title of the original article which is:
Ejecutan a 5 Personas en Guerrero, Dejan Message
this article is authored by Paco Zorroza for El Sol de Puebla (BDN loves Paco)
The second BDN post:
EU congela todos los bienes a José Miguel Handal Pérez aliado de ”El Chapo” y ”Zetas”
BDN changed the title of the original article which is:
Incluye EU en ‘Lista negra’ a aliado de ‘Chapo’ y ‘Zetas’
This article is authored by Silvia Otero for El Universal
(see side by side posts at the top of this post)
Fronteras Article Posted on BB forum by Aguiniga12
Source:
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