Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies

Writer plagiarized from Times, others

The Macon Telegraph has fired the reporter, who had left his previous newspaper job after being accused of copying material.

MACON, Ga. - A reporter with the Macon Telegraph has been fired after editors discovered he plagiarized material from the St. Petersburg Times and other news sources.

An investigation found at least 20 stories by Khalil Abdullah contained passages and quotes lifted from the Times, the Washington Post, the (Baltimore) Sun, the New York Times and the Associated Press, the Macon newspaper reported on Sunday.

The issue came to the attention of editors when a San Diego Union-Tribune editor called to point out similarities between Abdullah's story about declining enrollment in high school automotive technology classes, published Oct. 23, 2003, and one that ran in the San Diego newspaper on July 14, 2003, said Telegraph Executive Editor Sherrie Marshall.

Abdullah, who covered education for the newspaper, was fired after meeting with editors Friday.

He admitted copying material from other newspapers, and said he was unsure why he did it.

"I'm going to have to live with the fact that a lot of people trusted me, and a lot of people respected me, and I let them down," Abdullah told the Telegraph on Saturday. "I'm just sorry that it brought the Telegraph undeserved attention."

Editors have launched an investigation of stories written by Abdullah since he began working for the newspaper in September 2002. By Saturday, they raised questions about 20 articles. Marshall said she was calling editors of those newspapers to apologize.

"I'm heartsick about what's happened - for my staff and for the readers," she said.

Abdullah previously left Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram after being accused of copying material, he said. Telegraph editors were aware of the reason Abdullah left the Star-Telegram, but decided to offer him another opportunity, Marshall said.

"We talked about the mistakes, but we also saw the talent, the potential and the promise and decided to give him a second chance," she said.

Abdullah also has resigned as president of the Middle Georgia Association of Black Journalists.

In a statement Saturday, the group said it is "dedicated to the highest ethical standards of journalism and stands ready to heal this breach in readers' confidence caused by Abdullah's actions."