Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Beringia

(5,452 posts)
Mon Feb 23, 2026, 06:53 PM 12 hrs ago

Ripped from the Headlines on DU

I have been watching the show Law and Order: Criminal Intent with Vincent D’Onofrio (as an aside the name comes from Onofrio. St. Onofrio, a 5th-century Egyptian martyr) and I often get confused by the stories, they are so intricate and intertwined. So I read about how they get their stories and it says they are often Ripped from the Headlines.






From a blog post:

10 Law & Order Plots That Were Shamelessly Ripped From the Headlines

It’s hard not to blame the writers and producers of Law & Order for using the news as fuel for their stories. They’ve got a couple dozen episodes to film every season, and multiple franchises to keep up with. The flagship title ran from 1990-2010 and logged a ridiculous 456 episodes; after a while, it’s probably easier to just make up stuff based on the front page of CNN than it is to come up with something wholly original. But it’s not like the show only came to its “ripped from the headlines” format late in the game. Since the franchise’s inception, episodes have borrowed heavily from real life, sometimes to the point where disclaimers had to be made to keep the network out of hot water. Maybe we’re more aware now than before of the way the multiple series lift plots from real life, but the bottom line is that it’s hardly anything new. Here are some of the most shameless instances of “borrowing” in the franchise’s history.


https://writersforensicsblog.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/guest-blogger-10-law-order-plots-that-were-shamelessly-ripped-from-the-headlines/

And I thought that would be a nice DU contest, like the monthly Photography contest, for writers on DU to write their own ripped from the headlines story and enter it in a contest

I myself am not a good fiction writer, but would enjoy reading stories that other people make up

2 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Ripped from the Headlines on DU (Original Post) Beringia 12 hrs ago OP
;-{)...... Goonch 12 hrs ago #1
This is an interesting idea! SheltieLover 12 hrs ago #2
Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»Writing»Ripped from the Headlines...