SpartanEdge.com claims magazine reprinted story

Journalism junior Nick Mordowanec said he was surprised to see an article he wrote in January’s edition of ing magazine. He said he was even more surprised to see another student’s name on the byline.

Mordowanec said an article he submitted to SpartanEdge.com was reprinted, without attribution to him or to the original publisher, in January’s edition of ing.

“I kind of forgot the story until it came up again,” he said. “I see people reading it and they don’t even know I wrote it.”

Mordowanec said he sent his story to ing and SpartanEdge in September, hoping to gain exposure as a writer. SpartanEdge published the story the next month, while ing magazine did not acknowledge the submission, he said.

Ing publisher Adam Grant said the story was printed under the wrong byline because of a design error and SpartanEdge was not credited.

“When the designer put in the article, he inserted the wrong name,” Grant said. “That’s the honest-to-God truth.”

Mordowanec said Grant sent him an e-mail apologizing for a design error.

“I was kind of disappointed,” Mordowanec said. “I mean, it was the cover story. … It’s a pretty big mistake.”

Ing magazine dismissed its editor in chief and will run a correction, Grant said.

In an e-mail to The State News, former editor Michelle Martin said she stepped down and declined to comment any further.

SpartanEdge published a home page story denouncing the magazine’s editing system.

“In my opinion, it could have been handled in one e-mail, and that’s all,” SpartanEdge editor Amanda Peterka said.

In not acknowledging SpartanEdge as the owner of the material, Peterka said ing violated copyright laws. All stories published on SpartanEdge are followed with a statement that material is copyrighted.

Jane Briggs-Bunting, director of MSU’s School of Journalism and president of the State News’ Board of Directors, said the situation has been handled and declined to elaborate on the situation.