The Hollywood Reporter Accuses The New York Times of Plagiarism

A dispute has emerged between The Hollywood Reporter (THR) and The New York Times over a recent Times investigation into anonymous smear websites in Hollywood. THR's top editors expressed frustration, alleging that the Times' extensive piece incorporated much of the same information previously reported by THR without proper attribution.

The New York Times article, titled “How to Destroy a Reputation in Hollywood, as Told in 5 Women’s Lawsuits,” explored a network of anonymous websites used to manipulate public opinion against individuals involved in high-profile legal disputes. The investigation, authored by Debra Kamin, ran over 3,000 words and featured multimedia elements.

However, Maer Roshan, editor-in-chief of The Hollywood Reporter, stated that THR senior writer Gary Baum had spent nine months reporting on the same topic, unearthing a significant portion of the material later published by the Times. "Given the attention his stories received, it’s disappointing that the paper of record’s 3,000-word opus on the scandal omitted the outlet that broke it," Roshan said in a statement.

Baum has written extensively on the proliferation of smear websites in Hollywood over the past year, with his series reportedly uncovering much of the information detailed in the Times' report. While there are no strict rules governing the citation of prior work used as reference material, crediting previous reporting is considered a widely acknowledged professional courtesy within journalism.

A spokesperson for The New York Times defended Kamin's report, asserting that it was an "original piece of journalism" independently reported over months. The spokesperson added that Kamin interviewed more than 60 people and reviewed court documents, chat transcripts, and hundreds of websites and social media profiles.