LAT sports columnist placed on leave

LA Times Places Columnist Arash Markazi on Leave Amid Plagiarism Investigation

 

I would be interested to hear more about this, and the occasions/instances cited.

It saddens and angers me to think plagiarism may have occurred, but I can't say I'm surprised to hear of this investigation. There are a couple reasons for that, but the primary one is because Markazi has always seemed to me to blur the lines, himself, between what a newspaper journalist might consider proper, and being a relevant -- read, a known mover/shaker/influencer on social media. It has always seemed a foggy, dangerous balance that I've not been sure he has always maintained, and have never been confident that he really could do so.

 

One thing that struck me for whatever reason was the press release that seems to be in question.

It was basically like some community bulletin board thing for charity. I’m sure we’ve all gotten zillions of those over the years. And if they’re actually well-written, in the interest of time, I don’t change a lot.

Passing it off as a column, though, is the issue.

 

Especially in the LAT.

 

Makes me wonder if he did more of the same while he was at ESPN.com. He might have been able to get away with some things at the website that didn't pass at the LAT.

 

I've never had any inside info on Markazi's ethics or professionalism, but he's a guy I've always been a bit leery of, and I can't say I'm surprised at this. To be honest, I've known him for a couple of columns he wrote, about 10 years apart and for two different media entities, bashing the Angels organization for no really good reason, so yeah, as a fanboy, I've never cared for him because of that.

However, the one thing that raised my eyebrow about him was this column for ESPN.com in 2009. It's was about him at the Lawry's Beef Bowl (the banquet with the Rose Bowl teams a couple days before the game) with him talking about sitting with the Ohio State players during the meal and photo of him at the table with the players. I didn't find it unethical or anything, but to me it just smacked of "Hey, look at me, I get to hang out with big-time athletes and coaches" and made him look, and sports media at large, like "jock-sniffers," instead of responsible journalists.

Behind the scenes at the 'Beef Bowl' - Page 2 - ESPN

Ultimately, I'd like to think the Times is still a publication that understands their writers still have a standard to live up to and act accordingly.

 

He's a shithead plagiarist. End of story. This isnt the only newspaper I've seen this happen on. He just got caught. I don't even pay to read the paper anymore. They have gone so far away from actual Journalism, he almost fell through the cracks. Accepting expensive parties at the track got him canned. Correction, SHOULD.

 

I won’t say anything negative about Arash, whom I’ve occasionally crossed paths with over the years covering games. But I will say that most reporters and columnists would have been gone a while ago if they had the list of indiscretions his own sports staff is alleging in that letter to management.

 

I don't think it will move the needle either way if he stays or goes. Plaschke is the only Times columnist people follow regularly.

 

Not very popular with his co-workers, is he? And that started from month one.

 

The plagiarism charge is that he used the same description of a hotel in Las Vegas in columns 10 years apart. The problem seems to be that his column is a paid advertisement.

 

Sounds like a few folks are jelly of his (smaller) belly.

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