'Much of the Aug. 1 Jacksonville News column credited to Jacksonville State University President William Meeham is almost identical to health information on a pharmaceutical firm's web site, The Anniston Star reported.

On Wednesday, The Star said that the column, discussing ways of eliminating everyday stresses, was ghostwritten for Meeham by Al Harris, who retired in January as director of JSU's news bureau but remains a part-time employee.

About two-thirds of the Aug. 1 column under Meeham's byline appeared identical to material on http://www.mercksource.com, and Harris told the Star he was to blame.

“It was an article draft that was turned in too early because I forgot to go back and put in my attributions,” Harris said.

“I would think that the purists in English or scholarly writing would call that plagiarism. [Yeah, you'd really have to be a purist to consider this plagiarism.] It was in draft mode. It shouldn't have left my office,” he added.

Harris said that since 2000, he has ghostwritten Meehan's “Town & Gown” columns for The Jacksonville News, owned by Consolidated Publishing Co., which also publishes The Anniston Star.

The Star said it learned of the similarities from a letter sent by a 1995 JSU graduate. Meehan learned about the similarities when he received a call from a Birmingham News reporter Monday afternoon.

“It was our fault, and we want to admit that right up front,” Meehan said.

He said the article will be republished with a citation on JSU's news digest.

The Star said the JSU Handbook defines plagiarism as “the deliberate act of copying, writing, or presenting as one's own the information, ideas, or phrasing of another person without proper acknowledgment of their true source.”

John Alred, managing editor of The Jacksonville News, said Harris has apologized “and as far as I'm concerned, the case is closed.”'