The Criterion has terminated its online editor after learning that as many as 21 of the opinion pieces she has written since October 2012 contain content plagiarized from at least 24 sources.

Plagiarism violates the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics, to which The Criterion adheres, as set forth in its constitution.

Editorial staff discovered the acts of plagiarism Monday Oct. 21 around 6 p.m., two hours before The Criterion’s weekly staff meeting. All content produced by the former Online Editor was removed from the newspaper’s website immediately and she was fired Monday night.

So far, The Criterion’s editorial staff has determined that the former Online Editor plagiarized content from Alternet, The Associated Press, Backlash.com, The Chicago Reader, CollegeNews.com, E! Online, Jezebel.com, The National Post, The New York Daily News,The New York Post, the web portal Philly.com, Scene-Stealers.com, Slate, The St. Paul Pioneer Press, Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post.

The former Online Editor also used, without permission, material from the book “Stuff Hipsters Hate: A Field Guide to the Passionate Opinions of the Indifferent”, user comments from Change.org and Debate.org and blog content from oliviaacole.wordpress.com.

The Criterion’s editorial staff has reported the situation to CMU Administration, Student Life and Mass Communication Department officials. The Criterion is engaged in an ongoing investigation as to the extent of the plagiarism and will divulge any and all pertinent information as it comes to light.

The Criterion is currently compiling a manifest of the former editor’s plagiarized articles and sources to be released upon completion. Readers aware of any additional plagiarized content are encouraged to notify Editor-in-Chief, Levi Meyer at editorinchief@thecrite.com.