A film critic for the Minneapolis Star Tribune has resigned from his post after editors discovered that he had plagiarized the work of other critics from as far back as 2009 and as recently as Nov. 1.
Colin Covert, who had been a staff writer with the paper for over 30 years, was found in an investigation to have used the unique language of other critics in his own movie reviews, Star Tribune editor Rene Sanchez and managing editor Suki Dardarian wrote in a statement.
Covert’s plagiarism came to the attention of the Star Tribune when a reader pointed out that the phrase “self-glorifying masochistic mush” was used in both Covert’s 2009 review of the musical “Nine” but also first appeared in a review from Pauline Kael in 1974. Editors then noticed that several other Kael expressions from her other reviews also appeared in Covert’s review of “Nine,” including “archaic big-musical circus,” “comic-strip craziness” and “stardust is slightly irritating.”
“I’m sorry to say that through too many mistakes over the last 30 years I have compromised the Star Tribune’s meticulous reputation for integrity,” Covert said in a statement. “The paper has given me the opportunity to craft a wonderful, important career and through its benefits safeguarded me through three serious health crises. It is no exaggeration to say that I am grateful from the bottom of my heart. When blunders occur it is proper to admit them, correct them and move on.”
The paper identified at least eight other instances with work cribbed from critics at the New York Times, Paste Magazine, Vulture, the Wall Street Journal, IndieWire and The Hollywood Reporter. The most recent example came in a Nov. 1 review of the Melissa McCarthy-led “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” Covert used a phrase that was nearly identical to one found in a review from THR’s Jon Frosch in 2017.
The Star Tribune is alerting wire services and syndicates that may have re-published Covert’s reviews, and they’re also removing Covert’s work from their own website.
“In his long career at the Star Tribune, Covert has made many contributions to our cultural coverage. But this pattern of using distinct phrasing from other authors without attribution is a form of plagiarism and is a violation of our journalistic standards and ethics and those of our industry,” the editors said in a statement. “We also apologize to our readers, and to the writers and publications from which the material was taken.”
16 Hollywood and Media Deals With Saudi Arabia - and Where They Now Stand (Gallery)
A growing number of Hollywood and U.S. media companies have backed out of business deals with Saudi Arabia and the crown prince, known by his initials MBS, after Turkish officials concluded that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi operatives inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.
Here is a list of Hollywood and media deals with Saudi Arabia -- and where they stand now.
Richard Branson
British entrepreneur Richard Branson announced he would step down as chairman of Virgin Hyperloop, a planned supersonic transport system in the United Arab Emirates and other countries, CNBC reported.
The Harbour Group
Leading D.C. lobbying firm representing the Saudi government’s interests, the Harbour Group, announced on Oct. 11 it was terminating its $80,000-a-month contract with the kingdom.
Endeavor
WME parent company Endeavor, one of Hollywood's top talent agencies, said on Oct. 15 it was preparing to withdraw from its $400 million financing deal with the Saudi Arabian government.
Gerard Butler
Actor Gerard Butler pulled out of a trip to Saudi Arabia to promote his new movie "Hunter Killer" following Khashoggi's disappearance.
‘Davos in the Desert’
The New York Times, Bloomberg, CNN, CNBC, The Financial Times, Nikkei, The Los Angeles Times, Fox Business Channel, Viacom and The Economist are among the names that have withdrawn their sponsorship or canceled their appearances from the high-powered Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, dubbed “Davos in the Desert,” to be hosted by the Crown Prince and the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund in late October.
Uber
CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said he was "troubled by the reports" and would not attend the conference "unless a substantially different set of facts emerges."
AMC
The movie theater chain has plans to open 40 theaters in the kingdom within the next five years, with the aim to reach 100 locations by 2030.
AMC declined to comment when reached by TheWrap.
Penske Media Corp.
In February, Penske, which owns Hollywood trades Variety and Deadline, among other publications, received a $200 million investment from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The company declined to comment about whether it will reassess the investment.
World Wrestling Entertainment
WWE, which is due to return to Saudi Arabia on Nov. 2 for its "Crown Jewel" wrestling event, told TheWrap in statement that it’s "currently monitoring the situation." An insider also told TheWrap WWE talent have been instructed to promote the event -- but not its location -- for two weeks now.
IMAX
Plans for IMAX to build more movie theaters in the kingdom, which have been mired in red tape, will likely be put on “pause” following Khashoggi’s disappearance, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke with TheWrap.
Vox Cinemas
This Dubai-based movie theater chain -- not to be confused with media outlet Vox -- often received revenue from rich Saudis who traveled to Dubai on weekends while KSA’s cinema ban was in effect. They, along with AMC, got the inside track on negotiations to build cineplexes in the country and are currently the only two chains with the license from the government to do so. Vox declined to comment.
Feld Entertainment
The company told TheWrap it had not signed any deals with the Saudis to bring international events, including “Disney on Ice,” “Disney Live,” “Marvel Experience” and “Monster Jam” to the kingdom, but that it was “still in conversation” with the kingdom. The company did not wish to comment further.
iPic
In March, the Florida-based luxury movie theater chain had announced it had partnered with Saudi firm BAS Global Investments Co. to develop cinemas and restaurants throughout the kingdom. An iPic rep told TheWrap Wednesday that it had “no further updates” on the deal.
Nat Geo
In April, National Geographic announced it was partnering with the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia to develop and launch several locations for its walk-through virtual-reality zoo.
Reps for Nat Geo told TheWrap they “don’t have an answer yet” on whether the partnership will continue.
Cirque du Soleil
The iconic live entertainment brand had its first performance in Saudi Arabia on Sept. 23, just before Khashoggi went missing. It is unclear whether the company has any more performances planned in Saudi Arabia. Reps for the company did not respond to a request for comment from TheWrap.
IMG Artists
The performing arts, social media, and festival and events management company signed a letter of intent to bring large-scale festivals to the kingdom.
A rep for IMG told TheWrap that the deal went “stale” shortly after it was signed, following “changes” in the monarchy’s 2030 Vision campaign.
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Death of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi threatens kingdom’s modernization plans
A growing number of Hollywood and U.S. media companies have backed out of business deals with Saudi Arabia and the crown prince, known by his initials MBS, after Turkish officials concluded that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi operatives inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.
Here is a list of Hollywood and media deals with Saudi Arabia -- and where they stand now.
