WTF? I was quoted in this story but I have never spoken to the reporter nor would I have said those things. Is everything just generated by LLMs these days? cosmosmagazine.com
People keep asking if I've heard back. No. Also, I've been told the piece is attributed to a "science communicator". The distinction between a journalist and writer, essayist, columnist, or communicator is an important one that @amywestervelt.bsky.social has emphasized repeatedly.
Most people still connect the word journalist with things people who actually do that job do: reporting, fact-checking, actually finding new information and vetting it before they share it with the public. Not, getting an email from their friend and having feelings about it.
Posted below that story is another story by the same author, published a few days ago. I decided to look at some of the quotes in that story. All of them are plagiarized from somewhere else; some are more than 8 years old. Not good. Even non-journalists need to have some standards.
cosmosmagazine.com
I heard back from the "Engagement Manager" of Cosmos Magazine, who told me they took down both articles and are investigating. I'm not sure why the year is incorrect on the landing page. Perhaps it indicates that this kind of shenanigans sets back someone's career or a publication by five years.
Here's the resolution. I'm sorry y'all won't get to read about some interesting topics related to the ocean. Btw, if our students did that, they could be suspended or expelled. If journalists did that (e.g., Stephen Glass, Jayson Blair), they wouldn't be journalists anymore.
This episode makes me despair about the state of journalism today. If you go to @benmullin.bsky.social's timeline, you see all the journalists leaving their jobs. We're going to be left with writing from people who don't follow the rules and with AI bullshit. Sad.