Dirty Laundry

News anchor Joe Moore's play Dirty Laundry (about a newsanchor having to deal with ethical issues in the face of the demand for ratings) is similar in plot and characters to a 1986 tv movie which starred Martin Sheen. Moore admits that he borrowed a 'twist' ending from the film (adapting it to Honolulu), but says his work is original. The Advertiser article has a helpful comparison of the similarities between the two works.

Without having seen either work, it sounds to me like Moore was mostly reworking traditional elements of the journalistic drama (commiserating over drinks, heated newsroom arguments with the news director, the clash between the experienced professional and the young pretty female newcomer). It's not exactly original, but it isn't necessarily theft either.

Comments

Fascinating!

Right down to the bottom of the article, I was agreeing with Moore's indignant "mountain out of a molehill" lament. I mean, the "crusty old idealistic veteran journalist runs up against the shallow, sexy, market-driven new media reality" is one of the oldest stories in the book. The basic gist of "Dirty Laundry" is immediately recognizable in almost all other films about journalists, from "Broadcast News" to "The Insider."

But then I read over the plot-point-by-plot-point comparison, and... it's too similar to not describe "Dirty Laundry" as a directly imitative work.

I'm surprised Harada did the story at all. He and Joe are buddy buddy from what I hear.

Conspiracy Theory....Joe Moore is a genius.....Has anyone noticed that it's the so-called "sweeps" period, where advertising rates for the next 5 months will be set according to ratings? Yes he's been #1 for some time, so a little extra free pub wouldn't hurt would it????

What's the old line about there only really being about six plots in fiction anyway, so every author borrows from somebody else if you look hard enough?

And Ryan, you forgot the grandfather of all the film versions of the story: "Network.";)

The Star-Bulletin ran its own analysis of the Joe Moore plagiarism question today. (Hey, when did they change to that byline format?) It was amusing to read them writing around a direct reference to the Honolulu Advertiser until, literally, the last line.

It gives Moore more of a chance to defend himself: 'It was a hell of a way to start the day,' Moore said late Wednesday as he tried to... find something in the story that would make it front-page news.

Oh, and the Star Wars and Star Trek examples of derivative storytelling? John Berger is definitely a sci-fi fan.

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