On Point | Podcast The right wing is coming for Wikipedia
Sep 18, 2025
In this discussion, Stephen Harrison, a seasoned freelance journalist and tech lawyer, teams up with Molly White, a veteran Wikipedia editor with nearly two decades of experience. They dive into the Heritage Foundation's alarming plan to target Wikipedia editors over alleged bias. The conversation covers contested editing practices, the complexities of governance on Wikipedia, and the chilling effect of political scrutiny on content contributors. They also explore how these tactics echo authoritarian approaches to information control, raising concerns about Wikipedia's future.
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Deletion Nominations Are Procedural
- Deletion nominations are common and follow Wikipedia policies like notability rather than political motives.
- In Erica Kirk's case, editors reviewed sources and kept her page by a four-to-one margin.
Notability Depends On Independent Coverage
- Wikipedia bases person pages on independent reliable coverage and not inherited fame alone.
- Rising media attention after events can change notability assessments and preserve separate articles.
Talk Pages Make Decisions Visible
- Wikipedia discussions are transparent and recorded on talk pages for public review.
- Administrators weigh policy-based arguments, not just raw vote counts, when resolving disputes.
