Citing sources and writing columns

[Surlethe]

I write a column for my university's student newspaper. Last night, I finished it and sent it in, and received a reply later in the evening that there was "one big problem with your column: You can't use our competitor as a source. Find the info elsewhere or work around it without the straight data." I had cited an article from the local community newspaper about the city's poverty levels.

Now, the more I think about this, the more I smell horseshit. Does anybody else have experience with newspapers? Is this sort of policy common among them, or is it unique to my uni's student paper?

[Alyrium Denryle]

It may be fine for a paper, but academically that his horseshit

[Stuart]

I write a column for my university's student newspaper. Last night, I finished it and sent it in, and received a reply later in the evening that there was "one big problem with your column: You can't use our competitor as a source. Find the info elsewhere or work around it without the straight data." I had cited an article from the local community newspaper about the city's poverty levels.

The simple solution is give the local community newspaper a call, ask to speak to the reptile who wrote the column you quoted and ask him for his source. Then quote that.

Now, the more I think about this, the more I smell horseshit.

Deep rich smell isn't it. There was a time when it was believed to cure asthma.

Does anybody else have experience with newspapers? Is this sort of policy common among them, or is it unique to my uni's student paper?

I've heard of it where two magazines or newspapers are direct competitors (eg Chemical Age and European Chemical News but a university paper and a community paper? Sounds a bit of a stretch to me.

[Nova Andromeda]

-My solution: Call the local newspaper and find out if they have the same policy. If not, find someone to discuss this idioc policy with at the local paper and see if they won't run a story about it (if things aren't settled satisfactorily).