Essential reading: Gruber on attribution

Essential reading for journalists this morning: John Gruber on the subtleties of online attribution:

Not even including a link to the source of a story is dishonest. My problem with Fried’s “an Apple enthusiast site” attribution is more nuanced. That attribution, including a link, is not dishonest. But it is severely slanted, and it is disparaging.

Why do we put bylines on stories in the first place? Because writers deserve credit, obviously. But bylines also serve the reader. All work is better when it is signed by its creators.

If the Hari business proves anything, it’s that journalists need to stop talking about how damn professional we are compared to bloggers and actually be professional…