In today’s Knoxville News Sentinel and on their Go Vols Extra website this column from Marvin West appeared. West retired from Scripps Howard in the late 1990’s. Mr. West was Sports Editor when the Sentinel was an honorable publication.

I find it interesting that this same column appeared on Sunday night November 23, 2008 on the Shopper News Now website and in their print edition on Monday November 24, 2008.

In the byline they list Marvin West Shopper News and mention at the end of the article his past affiliation with the Sentinel.

Now, the Shopper is an E.W. Scripps owned entity. However, the Editor’s are separate. The News Sentinel with Jack McElroy and the Shopper with Sandra Clark. While I have issues with both in a head to head competition. McElroy comes up short.

Is the Sentinel so lazy that they waited three to four days to reprint a story from the Shopper? Is it ethical to re-print a story from a sister publication? If memory serves correctly Ms. Clark had her hand slapped and was forced to publicly apologize for lifting a photograph from the Sentinel a few years ago.

Inquiring minds need to know.