Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia edited by volunteers and hosted by the Wikipedia Foundation has, it’s fair to say, had its ups and downs. There’s been concern about the accuracy of the information published, instances of defamation and a dazzling number of occasions when pages have been vandalised. On the upside, when properly fact checked it can be a useful resource and whilst most journalists would deny using it, it’s also fair to say, many do.
Last week, The Australian published a story noting the Wikipedia page for newly elected Teal independent Zoe Daniel had been flagged as potentially being created or edited ‘in return for undisclosed payments’. Though the notation appears to have now been removed, the news story noted that the individual whose editing it was reporting on, had denied any wrongdoing, including editing for payment.
The published story raised many questions about who gets to edit a Wikipedia page and whether editing undertaken by interested parties, or conflict of interest editing, might contribute to the pernicious and ongoing problem of misinformation. And if it does, what can be done about it. To find an answer to some of these questions, our co-Director Monica Attard talked to Richard Cooke, a journalist, screenwriter and author who is currently writing a cultural history on Wikipedia.
Monica Attard, CMT Co-Director
This was featured in our eNewsletter of 22 July, click to read the full edition.
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