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Local film critic resigns after newspaper discovers plagiarism

After more than 30 years, Colin Covert has resigned as the Star Tribune's film critic.

MINNEAPOLIS - Colin Covert was once known as a "Top Critic" on the movie review site Rotten Tomatoes, but he is no longer reviewing movies professionally.

After more than 30 years, Covert has resigned as the Star Tribune's film critic.

The newspaper launched an investigation into Covert's reviews after discovering that particular phrases had been plagiarized from major publications, according to our partner station MPR.

MPR reported that the editors of the Star Tribune posted an editor's note on its website showing which words and phrases were copied from publications like The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

One instance of plagiarism was found in Covert's review of the film “Can You Ever Forgive Me?" in which Covert writes, "There’s breathtaking craft and control in her performance, but not once do you sense the tools at work." The same sentence, word-for-word, can be found in the Hollywood Reporter's review of the same movie by author Jon Frosch.

MPR published a statement from Covert in its article.

“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. “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.”

Now, when you click 'Read More' on Covert's reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, the site will bring you to the Star Tribune editor's note outing his plagiarism.

The Star Tribune's editors apologized to its "readers, and to the writers and publications from which the material was taken."

KARE 11 reached out to to the editors at the Star Tribune for comment, but they declined.

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