Michigan Daily Writer Caught Plagiarizing. Again.

Yet another writer at my school newspaper, the Michigan Daily, has been caught stealing from other articles.  Since I've been at the University of Michigan, at least three Daily writers have been found guilty of this behavior.

Why are reports of plagiarism becoming increasingly prevalent?  Is it because increased access to information online makes it easier to steal content?  Or is it because plagiarism is easier to discover than it was before?  Are there different kinds of pressures and systemic factors that increase the incentives for plagarism?

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a crappy writer, and I am in no place to judge professional journalists for their writing.  Still, I don't understand the desire to plagiarize.  Writers with an audience enjoy a unique opportunity to exert an influence on their readers.  If they truly care about the subjects that they are writing about, they should relish the opportunity to communicate their viewpoint to others.  If they don't have a passion for their subject matter, then why write at all?