Everyone who knows me knows I have an allergic reaction to Wikipedia, an online "encyclopedia", where anyone who isn't anyone can add or enhance an entry. Unfortunately, this system is rife for abuse and intentional false information. As more and more news organizations cut or get rid of their research centers and libraries, journalists are forced to rely on themselves for research. I worked as a news librarian for more than 20 years, and I know that there are many good journalists who are also excellents researchers. This is especially true of investigative reporters. But far too many "good" journalists are not following the maxxim: verify, verify, verify. Far too many are assuming that the information they find on the internet in general, and Wikipedia, in particular, is always accurate.
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090512
/ap_on_hi_te/eu_ireland_wikipedia_hoaxer
This is not to diminish the internet's value as an important and major reference tool. I use it every day in my job as a librarian, but I also use databases, and ... gasp, REAL BOOKS!
1 comment:
I completely agree with you. I tell people to verify everything they find on there. I have found errors and edited Wiki to fix them.
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