(2003-05-12) — Scott Ott said he will remain in his post overseeing the work of the vast editorial staff at ScrappleFace.com despite accusations of plagiarism and “quote fabrication.”
The scandal at ScrappleFace is the second to hit a major traditional media outlet in a week. The first involved a newspaper based in New York.

Mr. Ott, the ordinarily-reclusive veteran journalist who has spent almost a year in the top editorial seat at ScrappleFace, immediately ordered an in-house investigation into his questionable practices.
“It has come light recently that some of my articles may contain paraphrased quotes, or even outright fabrications,” the editor said in a tersely-worded news release faxed to his colleagues in the profession. “I take full responsibility for all of my illegal actions. And now it’s time for the country to move on and get past all of this mea culpa business.”
Mr. Ott has already received an $8.5 million advance on the book he will write detailing his 10 months at the helm of the trusted Internet news outlet. The publisher said the book should be out by mid-June because, “Mr. Ott has found a way to drastically reduce the normal research and documentation cycle.”

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