Reference work giant Wikipedia is now en route to even propel its branding to a more a reputable online information source. Its first stop? Banning the British publishing behemoth The Daily Mail.
The Guardian has reported that the Wikipedia editors have unaninomously voted to prohibit The Daily Mail as a source for its website. This came after it deemed the publishing group to be "unreliable". It has indicated that the London-based newspaper has a "reputation for poor fact checking and sensationalism".
It added that the Wikimedia Foundation, which operates Wikipedia, has revealed that its volunteer editots on English Wikipedia had been circling in on Daily Mail's reliability two years ago. Meanwhile, the recent act by the online encyclopedia is deemed to be unusual by some as it it still allows controversial sources such as Fox News and Russia Today to be linked to some of its data.
This move has also been welcomed by some as it could mean that the company may be planning to further the trimming of its fat. The Daily Mail ban was also precipitated by the previous proposal that was lobbied by an editor known as Hillybillyholiday last January. And during these times, Wikipedia's fellow editors have tried to gauge in the advantages and drawbacks of having The Daily Mail under its sources.
Some who opposed have argued that while the publisher may have spawned some sensational news recently, its record in the past is still better than it is now. They have also clamored that some respected publications have released inaccurate and fabricated stories.Ultimately, Wikipedia's decision to ban The Daily Mail has come after the tumultuous debate over the spread of fake news among numerous publications both online and on paper.
The Daily Mail is now joining publishers such as National Enquirer, The Sun and The Mirror as "unreliable" sources. Mashable has also shared that Wikipedia has warned on using state-run media like China's Xinhua or Iran's Press TV as sources.
Set up in 2001, Wikipedia was launched by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger. To date, it is one of the most popular websites globally. The website is unique in itself as it allows everyone to edit its content, potentially drawing some instances of false entries and sensational vandalism.
