Is it plagiarism if I use news?

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enkidu007

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I am thinking about writing a short story, based on the trvyon martin case. So it takes place in texas, the african americans are outraged about the case and decides to kill every white person they see.

My question is, can i reference the treyvon case? since it's public news?
 

Chris P

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You can refer to any historical events as much as you want with no problem. It's only plagiarism if you use words written by someone else, such as a newspaper article or broadcast.
 

Shadow_Ferret

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A lot of stories and novels are based on real life events and news. Referencing, even writing about, an true life event is acceptable. Just don't plan on using quotes from real news articles and pretend they're yours.

As Chris said, plagiarism is about using someone else's words as yours. There is a thing called Fair Use (and I'm sure someone who understands law better than I do will be along shortly.) I do believe, if you attribute the words to the journalist who wrote them, you can use small quoted segments, however, even then, I think you might want permission. Best to just write everything in your own words.
 

Polenth

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I am thinking about writing a short story, based on the trvyon martin case. So it takes place in texas, the african americans are outraged about the case and decides to kill every white person they see.

My question is, can i reference the treyvon case? since it's public news?

It's not that you can't get inspired by news, but I wouldn't say your story is based on the case. It sounds more like the kind of thing white people who murder black people believe - that black people are all very dangerous and would kill all white people if they had the chance, so better kill all the black people sooner rather than later. Hence black people getting murdered for playing their music too loud, asking for help after an accident and walking down the street. Because they must be up to something... they're black!

So I'd urge you to think again about your plot, because it's supporting the stereotypes that lead to such cases in the first place. But if you must write it, don't reference the case, out of respect for the family and community involved. You're not writing a story that's going to be respectful to them.
 

Jamesaritchie

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You can use anything in the news. This is where many of us get our ideas. So, yes, you can certainly write anything you like, and you can base it on the Marin case. Others already have.

And as someone once said, "It's fine to get help with how you write, but never, ever allow anyone else to tell you what to write."

The market will judge the what, and this is as it should be..
 

Jamesaritchie

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It's not that you can't get inspired by news, but I wouldn't say your story is based on the case. It sounds more like the kind of thing white people who murder black people believe - that black people are all very dangerous and would kill all white people if they had the chance, so better kill all the black people sooner rather than later. Hence black people getting murdered for playing their music too loud, asking for help after an accident and walking down the street. Because they must be up to something... they're black!

So I'd urge you to think again about your plot, because it's supporting the stereotypes that lead to such cases in the first place. But if you must write it, don't reference the case, out of respect for the family and community involved. You're not writing a story that's going to be respectful to them.

Boy, do we have different views of reality. Since the Marin case, I've lost count of how many black people said they would love to start shooting every white they could find, if they knew they wouldn't get caught. I find it understandable to a degree, but it has happened repeatedly. There have also been beatings, and even a few shooting, that resulted from the case.

It's no more unrealistic to have a blacks, or blacks, start murdering whites because of this case than it is to have a group of white supremacists start murdering blacks.

There are a lot of white racists out there, but there are also a lot of black racists, and most stereotypes happen because ta large degree of realism created the stereotype in the first place, whether it's thinking southerners are all members of the KKK, or thinking that it's a good idea to cross the street when you see a group of blacks coming your way when you're in a high crime area.

A fair number of southerners are members of the KKK, and many others are racist. And in an inner city high crime area, chances are very large that blacks commit most of the violent crime. The great majority of southerners are ownderful peole, and the great majority of blacks are, as well, but many of both are racist, or are extremely violent, and there's nothing wrong with writing a story that says so.

I write about the world as it is, not as I would like it to be, and if it actually happens, or if there's a likelihood that it can or will happen, I'm going to write about it.
 

frimble3

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I am thinking about writing a short story, based on the trvyon martin case. So it takes place in texas, the african americans are outraged about the case and decides to kill every white person they see.

My question is, can i reference the treyvon case? since it's public news?
Fine, reference it. But before you do, memorize the spelling or change all the names, because you used the victim's name twice, and spelled it incorrectly, differently incorrectly, each time.
Not very respectful of your inspiration, is it?
 

Viridian

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Boy, do we have different views of reality. Since the Marin case, I've lost count of how many black people said they would love to start shooting every white they could find, if they knew they wouldn't get caught.

How on earth do you know so many murderous racists?

In any case, I do not that think the poster you were replying to objected to the portrayal of a singular racist black person. The original posts says "the african americans are outraged about the case and decides to kill every white person they see". Not "a racist black person", but "the african americans", as in the black community.

In any case, I'm wondering if the original poster watches South Park. It was kind of funny as satire (the episode is about Cartman, an extremely racist sociopath, who imagines himself the protagonist of a zombie-like scenario where all black people everywhere decide to revolt over the Zimmerman case and start killing all white people).

As satire, it could be amusing, but it sounds too similar. And it's hard to imagine as a serious story.

[Off-topic, sorry.]
 
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blacbird

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If you do want to include "quoted" news stories, make them your own; use your own words, maybe attributed to a fictional source. That kind of thing is commonly done in fiction. It's no different from relating a fictional conversation.

caw
 
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