Veteran journalist Tony Weaver has been suspended from his post as acting news editor of the Cape Times after criticising ”plagiarism” by sister newspaper the Cape Argus.
Weaver made the charge in an item published last week in the satirical Krisjan Lemmer column of the Mail & Guardian newspaper.
”I have no regrets whatsoever about the column and I did not take any steps to cover up that I sent that e-mail,” Weaver told Mail & Guardian Online.
He was identified as the author of the item after management of Independent Newspapers Cape, owners of the Times and Argus, checked staff e-mails, and was suspended on Sunday afternoon.
The Lemmer piece said The Argus, which it described as the ”ugly stepsister” of the Cape Times, ran a NewsBriefing column which ”regularly consists of straight lifts from that morning’s Cape Times, often of exclusive stories that the Argus would not have had any hope of matching for its early editions”.
It said the Argus apparently maintained that since the two newspapers were both owned by the Independent group, it had lifting rights.
”Oom Krisjan calls it plagiarism,” the piece said.
”It is one of the worst sins that a journalist can commit,” Weaver told Mail & Guardian Online. ” I believe that journalists who do this should be exposed.”
Weaver confirmed to the South African Press Association (Sapa) on Monday that he wrote the Lemmer item, and said it came after two separate protests to the Argus about lifting copy had ”fallen on deaf ears”.
”I have had repeated complaints from my reporting staff about summarised versions of their stories appearing in the Argus without attribution,” he said.
He said he would know on Tuesday when his disciplinary hearing would be.
”I think management is overreacting. This is not a editorial decision, it is a management decision,” Weaver told Mail & Guardian Online.
Weaver said he was suspended on the instructions of Independent Cape managing director Bonnie Jutzen, who was not immediately available for comment.
Cape Times editor Chris Whitfield said he did not think he should comment, as he was ”obviously” going to be part of whatever processes followed.
Weaver, contracted to the newspaper as a senior writer, has been acting news editor since the death of Colin Howell, assistant editor in charge of news, last month.
”If they stick to my suspension I will just go back to being a freelancer. I’m not on contract with the paper,” he said.
He was the 2002 Vodacom Journalist of the Year winner in the print news category, and won the Mondi Premier award in the same year for news writing.
Cape Times newsroom staff were on Monday drawing up a protest at
Weaver’s suspension which they intended to hand to management on Tuesday.
”The staff is very angry,” said one. ”They also see it as management interference in editorial.”
”I have not heard from this initiative yet, but if it is true I would honestly be flattered,” Weaver said.
At the Argus there does not seem to be much commotion. ”There is no panic or great turmoil at the paper,” a worker told Mail & Guardian Online.
”People say it was not the smartest thing to do, but overall the reaction to this is pretty lame.”