So the mea culpa from Dagens Nyheter regarding plagiarism finally came this week, although halfheartedly. In summary: It is wrong, but everyone does it and we are not going to take any measures to prevent it from happening again.
DN’s “reader ombudsman” Lilian Öhrström writes that “plagiarism is a serious thing” but on the other hand she downplays its importance by saying that it is a common practice among journalists.
DN’s editor in chief Jan Wifstrand uses the same method: “[plagiarism] is the most common ethical violation in journalism. We don’t want to have that situation at Dagens Nyheter”. On the other hand he says that “there is no need for investigations. You need to have open eyes and ears.”
What strikes me as odd is that Lilian Öhrström is handed the duty to put the records straight. Media always point to the highest possible executive to take responsibility when they examine wrongdoings in companies. As Wifstrand doesn’t step up and take his responsibility, it is clear that he doesn’t take plagiarism accusations seriously. That kind of behaviour would never be tolerated by media.