Unit 5, Article 24: Wikipedia in the Newsroom

Reference

Shaw, D. (2008). Wikipedia in the newsroom: While the line “according to Wikipedia” pops up occasionally in news stories, it’s relatively rare to see the user-created online encyclopedia cited as a source. But some journalists find it very valuable as a road map to troves of valuable information. In P. De Palma (Ed.), Annual editions: Computers in society 10/11 (pp. 108-110). New York: McGraw Hill.

Summary

This article, which was written for American Journalism Review, talks about varying viewpoints of the use of Wikipedia by journalists. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone with internet access. Erroneous edits can be deleted by Wikipedia staff, but not everything is caught which means that the information found in Wikipedia is not necessarily accurate. According to the article, most journalists do not see Wikipedia as a viable source for information. Some journalists, however, agree that Wikipedia is a great place to go to find ideas. Many articles are full of good information and liked to credible sources.

Most often, when Wikipedia is cited by someone as a source it is because the user does not fully understand Wikipedia. Wikipedia is open about the fact that the information found inside is not necessarily accurate. Their online disclaimer includes the words “please be advised that nothing found here has necessarily been reviewed by people with the expertise required to provide you with complete, accurate or reliable information”. Students often cite Wikipedia when they write because it is the first thing that comes up in the search engine. Likewise, reporters who have never heard of the source may use it erroneously.

Reaction

Wikipedia is full of interesting information and often very helpful when trying to find quick facts about a new idea or concept. I agree with the article that Wikipedia can be a great place to start when researching. It presents a wealth of ideas and information that can then be researched further and confirmed. I also think Wikipedia can be very tempting for students who are just beginning to learn how to research. ESL students that I have worked with in the past have copied and pasted information from Wikipedia because they didn’t know how to express what they wanted to say in English. I think it is important that instructors address proper use of Wikipedia in their classrooms. Many instructors ask their students not to use Wikipedia as a source at all. I think it would be great if more instructors could teach students how to use Wikipedia as a source for finding credible information that they can cite in their papers. Going to Wikipedia is kind of like asking people you know about a topic before you start researching it. They may give you incorrect facts, but they will probably be able to help steer you in the right direction and give you some things to think about that you hadn’t thought of on your own.