Suspicious deep insights by beauty in Star column

More examples have turned up of suspicious copy in Live the Moment, a fortnightly Saturday column in the Star by contributor Dawn Jeremiah, about which allegations of plagiarism have been made. Besides last Saturday’s piece at least three previous articles appear to have been cobbled together using material apparently lifted from a variety of sources — including bits from a Columbia University professor’s erudite thoughts on friendship.

The article last Saturday was about buying an apartment, the second property article this year. Four months ago, she had allegedly written:

I RECENTLY purchased my first home, because I was tired of throwing money down the rental pit (or rather, my parents pushed me to make that purchase). However, when it comes to buying property, which is likely the biggest investment one will ever make, there can be a lot of catches. I don’t claim to be an expert: I am not a real estate agent nor a property consultant. All I can tell you is what I’ve learned from my experience as a first time homebuyer, and a few things that “I wish I had known then”.

Disarming in its frankness, and one might say quite astonishingly perspicacious in a young broadcasting and marketing personality, aspiring actress and a former runner-up in the Miss Malaysia beauty contest. (She did once remark, though, that beauty contestants were much maligned purely on suspicion of a lack of substance in their noggins.)

More astonishingly, the very same thoughts — and the very same words — had appeared in a Yahoo article Seven Lessons I Had to Learn the Hard Way in July 2010.

Thinking about buying your first home? It’s perfectly understandable. You’re tired of throwing money down the rental pit. … However, when it comes to buying property, which is likely the biggest investment you will ever make, there can be a lot of catches. I don’t claim to be an expert: I am not a realtor or a real estate attorney. All I can tell you is what I’ve learned from my experience as a first time homebuyer, and a few things that “I wish I had known then”.

See for yourself: » C.E. Wolfe at Yahoo | » Dawn Jeremiah at the Star
(Tip: A Asohan of Digital News Asia, an anonymous email correspondent, and commenter Jordan.)

But wait, there’s more…

Besides a leading role in Malaysia’s long-running real-life Law ‘N Order political drama, by almost being mugged, the columnist has written on a range of topics, dispensing much wisdom, some of it worthy of a Columbia University professor.

Thoughts on friendship, by the prof

Phillip Lopate — editor, essayist, novelist, poet and film critic — of Columbia University, who has written three books on the art of the personal essay, discussed Modern Friendships, in February 1988. A New York Times reviewer said “he has something refreshing for that generic essay subject”.

Prof Lopate remarked: “Is there anything left to say about friendship after so many great essayists have picked over the bones of the subject? Probably not.” Nevertheless he went on to observe:

Our first attempted friendships are within the family. It is here we practice the techniques of listening sympathetically and proving that we can be trusted, and learn the sort of kindness we can expect in return.

Deep insights on friendship, by the beauty

Dawn Jeremiah’s column True friends are the ones who stand by you – no matter what in June 2012 had this to say:

Mr Lopate, in 1988, cites and quotes from Aristotle, Cicero, Montaigne and Emerson.

Miss Jeremiah, in June 2012, does not cite Mr Lopate.

But a Montaigne quotation did figure once, in the signature paragraph to a column of November 2011 that had the headline Let’s Not Be Hypocritical. The quote is about taking the measure of a man, in which Montaigne says to ignore the appertunances of greatness and “Measure his height with his stilts off”.

The measure of social climbers

What a professor said in July 2011 — Art Markman, quoted in Psychology Today – article written by Jill Coody Smits

Here’s the Dawn Jeremiah version, November 2011

Deep insights on job-hunting

Funny you should say that

Apparently also featured at the blog of World of Warcraft (a popular video game)

And apparently also at an essay writing blog:

Deep insights on resumés

Also seen in…

150 Funniest Resume Mistakes, Bloopers and Blunders Ever

There are many lessons for journalists in all this, for editors who failed their task as gatekeepers, for executives caught in the corporate chase for the yuppie demographic segment, for the general pandering to the glitterati, and for the general professional failure to keep eyes on the ball. Taking an audit would not be amiss. A return to basic principles in work practices might also help.

Through it all, Miss Jeremiah has been constant in one regard. In that cloying, annoying, simpering, cutesy, signature required by the Star at the end of every column, Miss Jeremiah always closes by saying she is “armed with a passion for television and journalism”.

How very truly, truly, unfortunate — for all of us.