Wikipedia Bias and Defamation Case

Overview of Defamation Case

Filing Party: Asian News International (ANI)
Defendant: Wikipedia
Claim: Wikipedia allowed defamatory edits portraying ANI as a propaganda tool for the Indian government.
Damages Sought: ₹2 CR rupees
Next Hearing: August 20th
Wikipedia's Defense: Restricted editing access means only top editors can modify ANI's page, making it difficult for ANI to remove defamatory content.
ANI's Argument: Selective editing damaged its reputation and caused public harassment.

Criticism: Bias against non-left news outlets in India.
Operation: User-generated content reviewed by top editors for quality and neutrality.
Bias Impact: Top editors often remove content contrary to their personal ideologies, compromising the aim of providing unbiased information.

Becoming a Top Editor: Users gain privileges based on accurate edits, eventually becoming administrators who can protect pages, block users, and delete articles.
Perceived Bias: Left-leaning editors more likely to ascend, right-leaning editors' contributions often reverted.

Accusations: Wikipedia lenient towards left-leaning outlets, allows misinformation about right-leaning portals.
Prominent Cases: Deletion of profiles of government-supportive journalists, later restored after legal actions.
Personal Accounts: Prominent figures without Wikipedia pages despite having significant followings.

Background: Co-founder of Wikipedia
Warning: Significant left-leaning bias and not a trustworthy source of information.
Claims: Editorial process influenced by political leanings, undermining Wikipedia's mission of unbiased information.
Public Caution: Urges caution when relying on Wikipedia for information.

Elon Musk: Criticized Wikipedia's editorial standards, bias, and portrayal of historical events.
Comment: History written by the victors, but on Wikipedia, it can be skewed by those with ideological agendas.
Impact of Criticism: Highlights issues of reliability and impartiality on Wikipedia.

Ongoing Debate: Reliability and impartiality of Wikipedia.
Potential Outcome: Increasing pressure on Wikipedia to address bias and re-evaluate editorial practices.
Public Engagement: Encouragement to share opinions on Wikipedia's credibility and necessary actions to restore neutrality.

Note: The lecturer emphasizes the real-world impact of Wikipedia's potential bias on information used in academia and professional endeavors.