Gustavo Lacerda

Is it clear that media copy stories from each other? I thought that there were some organizations (UPI, AFP, AP, etc.) that have syndicated stories that run quite widely (sometimes with slight modifications), but otherwise stories are "original". That is, the different outlets each have their own reporter who writes her own story. The biggest thing is that they will tend to make sure they have a story on any topic that any other news outlet has a story on. But the story itself will be original, in whatever sense the first story was original. As bhudson points out, they're often recycled press releases, and combinations of pool reports with only a little truly original writing.