Who is Ben Kaplan? And Why is He Stealing My Journalism To Promote Beer Day?
DUBLIN, IRELAND (April 9, 2026) — On April 8, 2026 at 6:09 pm, Talk of the Sound published an article titled “New Rochelle High Rise Murder Case Heads Toward Trial as Indictment Details Clarify Evidence, Prior Conviction.”
I was the only media outlet in the world that reported on this story at all.
The April 8 article came together this way:
In early April, after publishing New Rochelle Woman Arraigned on Felony Assault Charge in Downtown Stabbing, Bail Set at Up to $30,000 which followed New Rochelle Church Street: Stabbing Victim Found Inside Building Lobby; No Arrests, Victim in Surgery (prompted by a local Facebook post) and Are You Imagining It, or Is New Rochelle Suddenly Feeling More Violent? I was reminded of my 2024 article Prosecution of Georgia Man Indicted for New Rochelle Clinton Place Murder Continues, Remains Held Without Bail so I looked up the Robert Wooten case in eCourts NY. I saw numerous adjournments. I emailed the District Attorney’s office about the delays. The DA’s office responded by explaining the delays (Wooten had gotten a new lawyer) and said the case was moving toward trial, possibly in June.
His next scheduled appearance was on April 9 so that date looked potentially significant — it could address the new lawyer, other pre-trial matters, or even help set a trial date. I therefore drafted a timely status update earlier in the week then published it on April 8 so readers would have current information.
The DA also sent me the grand jury indictment, which I used to refresh and update my 2024 reporting with details including his prior 2020 conviction, jail records, surveillance video evidence, identification procedures, statements attributed to Robert Wooten and the DA’s the two-murder theory.
SEE: SEO Parasite News: How Google Search Blurs Reporting, Aggregation, and Ad Platforms
In simple terms: Over the course of a week, I put in significant original work — repeatedly checking eCourts NY, emailing the District Attorney’s office about the delays, carefully reviewing the new grand jury indictment, and updating my prior 2024 coverage — to produce a timely, accurate article that set the stage for ongoing reporting as the case moves toward trial or a possible plea deal. I might add I could only do that and do it efficiently becauseI have two decades of experience
Here is the original April 8, 2026 article:
At 10:07 pm, exactly four hours later, National Today published an article under its “New Rochelle Today” section:
Georgia Man Charged in New Rochelle High-Rise Murder Heads to Trial
Sound familiar?
A side-by-side comparison shows that nothing in the National Today article is not already contained in my April 8 reporting (and my prior related coverage on the same case, which was linked at the bottom of my article). The headline phrase “Georgia Man” itself was taken from my earlier 2024 reporting. The National Today piece adds no independent sourcing, no new facts, and no original analysis.
There is also no attribution, no link, and no credit given to Talk of the Sound or to my reporting. Just Kaplan passing off my work as his own. How is this not copyright infringement and theft of my original copyrighted work?
National Today is founded and led by Benjamin Kaplan (Ben Kaplan), who serves as its CEO, Senior Writer, and Managing Editor. Kaplan is a Harvard University graduate (magna cum laude in economics, 1999) with a background in content marketing and SEO-driven publishing.
I have already filed and sent a formal DMCA takedown notice to National Today and to Benjamin Kaplan personally (with a copy to GoDaddy), requesting immediate removal or disabling of access to the April 8, 2026 article under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
I have also publicly raised the issue in a thread on X, tagging Google Search, Google News Initiative, and journalism organizations.
Readers can review both articles and the side-by-side screenshot below to assess the content overlap for themselves:
Local journalism depends on original effort — checking court records, contacting officials about delays, reviewing new indictments, and providing timely updates for the community.
When Ben Kaplan’s National Today publishes a summary that contains nothing not already in the original work, with no attribution or credit, shortly after publication, it raises serious questions about how content networks value original reporting.
I will continue producing original, documented local coverage for New Rochelle.
Let’s hope Ben Kaplan finds some other way to promote Beer Day.
