CNN copied Metafilter

February 5, 2004 1:41 PM

Is Cnn Technews cruising MetaFilter for story ideas to write stories like this? Poseurs.
posted by trbrts to MetaFilter-Related at 1:41 PM (9 comments total)

Perhaps, but I saw these referenced elsewhere at least a week before they appeared on Metafilter. And, no it wasn't on eBay... : )
posted by machaus at 1:45 PM on February 5, 2004

No.
posted by Witty at 1:48 PM on February 5, 2004

The best arguement against NewsFilter posts? Sooner or later, the Big News Media will steal it all from us.

except FoxNews which steals from LGF...
posted by wendell at 1:58 PM on February 5, 2004

Even if they were, it's not a big deal to take story ideas. Media outlets do it from each other all the time. If it's a highly original one (like a MeFi member comes up with an idea then a week later it's in the NYT), then yes, crediting MeFi or the original member for it would be fantastic. But reading sites like MeFi for general ideas or, in this case, offbeat news, is totally kosher. I've probably cobbled together half a dozen stories (or recommended them to fellow reporters) as a direct result of MetaFilter threads.
posted by Happydaz at 2:00 PM on February 5, 2004

The story was on every blog the past couple days. I think they're trolling blogdex for story ideas, personally.

But if it was MetaFilter, so what? We're supposed to be filtering the best of the web and that is an unusual story that people are interested in.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 2:07 PM on February 5, 2004

Well, fair's fair; Metafilter is also cruising CNN for ideas to write posts like this.
posted by carter at 2:31 PM on February 5, 2004

touche!
posted by quonsar at 5:55 PM on February 5, 2004

Plus, it was a Reuters story. Not a CNN story.
posted by UKnowForKids at 8:11 PM on February 5, 2004

Can I call myself a reuter too?
posted by wendell at 8:28 AM on February 6, 2004