Student 1, Media 0

[SaintB]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30699302/wi ... ?GT1=40006

DUBLIN - When Dublin university student Shane Fitzgerald posted a poetic but phony quote on Wikipedia, he said he was testing how our globalized, increasingly Internet-dependent media was upholding accuracy and accountability in an age of instant news.

His report card: Wikipedia passed. Journalism flunked.

The sociology major's made-up quote — which he added to the Wikipedia page of Maurice Jarre hours after the French composer's death March 28 — flew straight on to dozens of U.S. blogs and newspaper Web sites in Britain, Australia and India.

Impressive i'n't it? One college student posts a fake quote on a Wiki Article that lasts only a few minutes and the world's media latches on to it and publishes it as the truth!
Whats this say about the accountability of today's media?

[Vectrova]

It says that wikipedia is more reliable than people tend to give it credit for. I should print this article out and give it to my professors just to laugh in their faces.

A'course, I don't actually cite wikipedia in any papers, but the whole thing just infuriates me.

[Saint Jade IV]

I think this is a great story. I will be using it with my classes when teaching them about the 'reliability' of news articles and Wikipedia.

[Verdigroth]

I wonder what wiki says about this?

[SaintB]

I think this is a great story. I will be using it with my classes when teaching them about the 'reliability' of news articles and Wikipedia.

I'm like your unofficial classroom aid aren't I?

[Sylvonia]

I should keep this away from my english teacher. She told us to use Wikipedia as a starting point for our research.

[Katganistan]

I should keep this away from my english teacher. She told us to use Wikipedia as a starting point for our research.

Operative words: starting point. Using their links and citations to access their sources is A Good Thing.(tm)

[Sylvonia]

I should keep this away from my english teacher. She told us to use Wikipedia as a starting point for our research.

Operative words: starting point. Using their links and citations to access their sources is A Good Thing.(tm)

Tell an average high school student they can use Wikipedia and you're just asking for trouble though. I finished the paper with only two little bits of (cited) information from Wiki, the rest was easily accessible through a google search or the citations at the bottom of the page. Most of the rest of my class however used Wikipedia for the bulk of their research, which landed them in hot water when she corrected the papers.

[Luna Amore]

I should keep this away from my english teacher. She told us to use Wikipedia as a starting point for our research.

Operative words: starting point. Using their links and citations to access their sources is A Good Thing.(tm)

Tell an average high school student they can use Wikipedia and you're just asking for trouble though. I finished the paper with only two little bits of (cited) information from Wiki, the rest was easily accessible through a google search or the citations at the bottom of the page. Most of the rest of my class however used Wikipedia for the bulk of their research, which landed them in hot water when she corrected the papers.

The first day of class needs to be devoted to teaching what 'starting point' means then.

[Cowland5]

I should keep this away from my english teacher. She told us to use Wikipedia as a starting point for our research.

Operative words: starting point. Using their links and citations to access their sources is A Good Thing.(tm)

Tell an average high school student they can use Wikipedia and you're just asking for trouble though. I finished the paper with only two little bits of (cited) information from Wiki, the rest was easily accessible through a google search or the citations at the bottom of the page. Most of the rest of my class however used Wikipedia for the bulk of their research, which landed them in hot water when she corrected the papers.

The problem is that most people just don't care. Tell them not to use Wikipedia and a lot of people still will...


What's with this three quote limit thing?

[Barringtonia]

Well the media has no money for actual fact-checking, certainly no money for honest, unbiased reporting and definitely no money to act as the 4th estate. The reason this happened is that 2 wire services, AP and Reuters, account for the majority of 'reporting', media outlets just pick it up and often run it unedited (a survey showed that something like up to 70% of articles are either straight, or minimally altered from wire service reports) and they really don't have time to check facts thoroughly, nor does the media so much - which is why it's easier to set your agenda and then just make up 'facts' so they fit that agenda, success to FOX.

The Washington Post, the paper that exposed Richard Nixon, recently responded as to why it would not use the word 'torture'.

"Take a look at financial reports on the newspaper business. We're not going to do anything [i.e. print anything that might even hint at them being sued] that leads to us losing any more money these days."

Frankly, being sued by Dick Cheney would be utterly fantastic, bringing the debate to courts would, in my opinion, raise the popularity of the Washington Post enormously,

However, which media has either the time or resources to put to investigative reporting,

Of course, in the meantime...

America's oil, gas and coal industry has increased its lobbying budget by 50%, with key players spending $44.5m in the first three months of this year in an intense effort to cut off support for Barack Obama's plan to build a clean energy economy.

Hence I only read opinion-papers, which for me is The Economist, The Guardian and the IHT, I can research the truth on my own if I'm truly concerned.

[Saint Jade IV]

I think this is a great story. I will be using it with my classes when teaching them about the 'reliability' of news articles and Wikipedia.

I'm like your unofficial classroom aid aren't I?

Unofficial nothing! You're totally official, just don't get paid, credit or you know, stuff.

Just my lovely fluffles (which don't exist here, much to my disgust).

[SaintB]

I think this is a great story. I will be using it with my classes when teaching them about the 'reliability' of news articles and Wikipedia.

I'm like your unofficial classroom aid aren't I?

Unofficial nothing! You're totally official, just don't get paid, credit or you know, stuff.

Just my lovely fluffles (which don't exist here, much to my disgust).

Will Work for fluffles!

[Peisandros]

Lawl. There is always lots of fun to be had with Wikipedia, good to see it was put to 'win' use.

[Gauthier]

Countries are citing Onion articles as credible sources and you're surprised by this?

[Tubbsalot]

Countries are citing Onion articles as credible sources and you're surprised by this?

To be fair, it's difficult to imagine what countries might be doing three years in the future.

I mean holy shit.

[Novaya Tselinoyarsk]

Countries are citing Onion articles as credible sources and you're surprised by this?

Where exactly did the OP say he was "surprised"? Did you just read part of it then come to a conclusion? They're laughing at how stupid Media outlets can be, just another notch in our wall of dumbassery for the Media.

[Ifreann]

Countries are citing Onion articles as credible sources and you're surprised by this?

To be fair, it's difficult to imagine what countries might be doing three years in the future.

I mean holy shit.

Three years? They won't last the night.

[Blazedtown]

[Gauthier]

(Image)

Not Alien Zombies?

[Blazedtown]

(Image)

Not Alien Zombies?

Zombies don't qualify for green cards, so they're all aliens anyway.

[Frisbeeteria]

Countries are citing Onion articles as credible sources and you're surprised by this?

13804 posts and you're still gravedigging 2009 threads?