Editor’s note: Wikipedia is like the kid nobody acknowledges at school but who everyone always goes to for homework advice. On May 10, the Northern California chapter of ASJA was invited to attend a “Why Facts Matter” Wikimedia panel held at their headquarters in trendy SOMA (So of Market close to the Financial District), home to many of San Francisco’s best-known media companies, including Twitter and Google. (Wikimedia is the parent of Wikipedia and other sites.) Among the approximately 185 attendees were ASJA members from the Northern California chapter, including chapter president Donna Albrecht and treasurer Shari Steiner. They share their perspectives below.
Why Attend the Panel?
by Donna Albrecht
Here’s the short answer: Wikipedia is a remarkable resource for freelancers that can save time and help find excellent sources of information. Shari’s longer explanation follows.
The social hour gave us an opportunity to meet and talk with Wikimedia supporters, contributors and staff. The room was charged with the energy of creative people who care about facts and making knowledge available to everyone.
Three panelists provided a clear idea of how they see the sharing of knowledge growing in the near future and why facts are important to our society and the world.
The first speaker, Monika Bauerlein, CEO of Mother Jones said, “The independent press is a pillar of democracy.” Of the eighty people she employs, fifty are reporters. She added that it is necessary to safeguard reporters because there are always people who don’t want the truth to get out. Because of what is happening in the world today, Mother Jones is “doubling down” on investigative journalism.
Tim Haydock, Director of YouthWire, California’s Next Generation of Community Media, spoke about how YouthWire helps young people obtain the skills needed to become the journalists of the future. He found that many are less attached to legacy media, i.e., printed material such as newspapers and magazines, and tend to get their news from Facebook. They are also eager to be engaged in the news they see. He mentioned that students are often told by teachers not to go to Wikipedia for research. He said, and the other panelists agreed, that Wikipedia is a great starting point but shouldn’t be the only source of information. Tim added that our media needs more storytelling from historically marginalized communities and he’s working to bring that about.
Katherine Maher, executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation, was the final panelist. “Free knowledge is radical: I believe in that!” she stated. At Wikipedia, they work to make all the knowledge freely available, accurate and verifiable. It is subject to peer review, not only from U.S. peers, but also “the majority of the material is generated in languages other than English, then cross referenced.” She talked about how anyone can contribute or edit material to the site.
So ASJA members, ASJA has almost two whole lines on Wikipedia to cover the entire history of our organization. Click here if you want to add to it and edit away!
Wikipedia: Why Bother?
by Shari Steiner
When doing research, I do not start by going to Wikipedia and querying an item. I do start by querying Google, then, if there’s a Wikipedia article in the top 3-5 responses, I go to Wikipedia first, because their reports are more comprehensive but succinct and they don’t have a bias, as many websites do. Besides, it’s free to search for as many articles as I want and they have no ads, so it doesn’t take an eternity to find the relevant information. The only items I don’t go to Wikipedia first for are breaking news. While Wikipedia entries are good for historic perspective, they are not updated minute-by-minute.
Wikipedia has 80 million (and growing) views a year. Their articles are written in more than 60 languages, all mutually edited and translated. Although English was their first language, English contributions now comprise only 13 percent of their entries. They do not pay their contributors; most are professional journalists working to help build the world knowledge bank who are ardent about keeping press reports and “fake news” out of their contributions.
In a single day, I look up facts on Wikipedia for all kinds of projects, such as:
- A possible article on the Costa Rica cloud forest. Wikipedia details the history of when it was discovered, when the biological diversity of the region was recognized and protection policies developed, who were/are prime people involved in protecting the biological diversity (often with links to other Wikipedia pages on the person and other relevant details), the number of species (70,000, many on endangered list, the most biodiverse country on the planet). There is also a list and pictures of some of more unusual aspects of the forest (some of which have their own pages) and a list and pictures of tourist services, including ziplines that go through different types of forests, hiking and bus tours, and more.
- A how-to piece on clearing a clogged drain with step-by-step instructions and pictures.
- A profile on Ben Platt, the young actor currently nominated for a Tony for his lead in the Broadway hit, “Dear Evan Hansen.” Along with biographical data, I found information about his relatives, fellow “Dear Evan” actors and writers, quotes from reviews and other details.
Wikipedia is the fertile background field; it’s the freelancer’s dream of having a worldwide staff constantly helping you figure out what’s happening where. All you have to do is pick the fattest project, follow thru with deeper research on your own particular interest and go grab an assignment!
Donna Albrecht specializes in writing books and articles that help people get the information they want and need to improve their quality of life. She has written over 400 articles and six books. Her work has appeared in a wide range of publications including Entrepreneur, Ms., Modern Maturity, the San Francisco Examiner, Writer’s Digest, Workforce, Exceptional Parent, and special sections of the Los Angeles Times.
Shari Steiner specializes in travel, personal finance, real estate investing, relocation, housing and related subjects. Her work has appeared in Parade, New Choices, Cosmopolitan and Vacation Homes, among others. She is the author of several guides including Steiner’s Complete How to Move Handbook (Dell) and The Female Factor: a Report on Women in Western Europe (Putnam).