Is it plagiarism to copy your own previous work?

The Miami Herald fired arts and culture critic Octavio Roca after discovering he had copied substantially from articles he had written for other newspapers. Octavio Roca "produced several articles for the Herald that had been copied substantially from those he had written for newspapers where he had previously worked," executive editor Tom Fiedler wrote.





What's your opinion on this matter?|||I have two things I have to know before deciding.





First, who *owns* the content of his previous columns?


Most reporters, journalists, and other related profession work on what is known as a "work for hire" basis. That means that although they do technically write the words, the articles are owned by the newspaper that pays for them (just like the way an inventor for GE may invent a new technology, but because he invented it FOR GE, then GE owns the rights to it, not the inventor). It is ALL about the contracts and who owns what.


If this was the case, then he was writing FOR them and stealing those columns later WOULD be plagiarism. Legally there would be no debate over it.





Second, did he inform his readers that he was reusing past work?


If not, it is misrepresentation at best and that alone is fire-worthy in such a profession as his. Most professional organizations DO consider the "intent to mislead" to be what they call "text-recycling." It may not legally be considered plagiarism, but for internal company policy purposes, they may consider reusing one's own past work, if done with an intent to mislead, to be the equivalent of plagiarism and thus worthy of firing.





If it meets either of these requirements--either it was content he wrote but did not legally own or his company had policies against text-recycling--then yes, it is plagiarism.|||The answer is - yes.





These articles, while written by Roca, are owned by the publications that printed them. This is because the author, under contract, gives these rights to the publication. While the author can keep clips for resume purposes, they no longer own the right to "borrow" from it without proper citation.|||yes, it is called dove tailing. I think it's kind of hinky since it is still your work but apparently it's just as bad as copying someone else.|||My teachers call it "self plagiarism" but I personally don't think that using your previous work is plagiarism because you own it and you can do anything you want with it.|||nope,it's your own work. so it isn't plagiarizing. it's only plagiarizing if you copy someone else's.|||if its you work then its yours, i dont see any plagiarism in that only the repetitive use of words.|||Not plagiarism, just laziness.|||If it's your own work, no.|||My teach said yes, it is


unless you cite your own past work|||My online college instructor says it is.