Virginia’s leading press organization has decided to uphold its annual award for “integrity” to a student newspaper at Virginia Military Institute, despite plagiarized material and an undisclosed conflict of interest in its reporting.
Plagiarism typically subjects a journalist to strong disciplinary action, including dismissal, in many news organizations.
The VPA hired Conrad Shumadine, a retired Norfolk attorney, to review the award to the Cadet. He concluded in his report to the association’s board that the Cadet had followed the contest’s rule and that the VPA had no procedure or mechanism in place for overturning the contest judges’ decision. “I conclude the award is final and is not subject to challenge,” he wrote.He also suggested that rescinding the award on the basis of a plagiarism allegation could invite litigation.
Shumadine also seemed to clear the Cadet of plagiarism. “In this case,” he wrote, “it seems clear the contributions of the winner are original.” The VPA’s executive director, Betsy Edwards, said Friday the board had accepted Shumadine’s conclusions. “We believe the report speaks for itself,” she said, declining to comment further.The VPA has not disclosed the name of the judge who oversaw the category that the Cadet won.
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