JournalismPakistan.com | Published April 26, 2017
Join our WhatsApp channelWASHINGTON - Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales is launching a project aimed at reshaping the news media – and tackling the scourge of misinformation – using the same collaborative principles as the revolutionary online encyclopedia.
Wikitribune will rely on a broad online community of journalists and readers as fact checkers, a crowdsourcing model pioneered in the "wiki" system behind Wikipedia. “The news is broken and we can fix it," reads the website of the project unveiled by Wales late Monday, describing itself as focused on "evidence-based journalism."
On Twitter, Wales called it "a news platform that brings journalists and volunteers together for fact-based articles with real impact." "Wikitribune takes professional, standards-based journalism and incorporates the radical idea from the world of Wiki that a community of volunteers can and will reliably protect and improve articles."
The new service will be free, without advertising, relying on contributions from users in the same manner as the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation that operates Wikipedia. It will ask supporters to subscribe for $15 per month and plans to hire at least 10 journalists to manage the site.
Wales told the BBC: "I think we're in a world right now where people are very concerned about making sure we have high-quality fact-based information, so I think there will be demand for this." Fake news emerged as a serious issue during last year's US election campaign, when clearly fraudulent stories circulated virally on social media, potentially swaying some voters.
Concerns have been raised since then about hoaxes and misinformation affecting elections in Europe, and internet firms have stepped up efforts to crack down on "click farms" and other systems that generate online ad revenue using made-up news stories.
Jeff Jarvis, a City University of New York journalism professor who is an advisor to the project, said in a blog post he is "excited" about Wikitribune. "I see the need for innovation around new forms of news," Jarvis said.
"The community of contributors will vet the facts, help make sure the language is factual and neutral, and will to the maximum extent possible be transparent about the source of news posting full transcripts, video, and audio of interviews."
Wikitribune's advisory group includes Jarvis, venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki and British actress Lily Cole, according to the website. Jeff Howe, a journalist who coined the term crowdsourcing and now is a professor at Northeastern University, said this system can be positive for the news industry.
"I'm a big fan of crowdsourced verification," Howe told AFP. "It's a very well-tested principle." Howe added that crowdsourcing at Wikipedia and elsewhere works best as a "hybrid" system, which is open to the public but with professionals managing the system. But Howe said it remains unclear if Wikitribune can reach the people who are most susceptible to fraudulent news.
"Some people have already written off the mainstream media," he said. "I'm not sure if he (Wales) can reach those people in the margins." Laura Hazard Owen, deputy editor of Harvard University's Nieman Journalism Lab, said it remains to be seen if the project will succeed. "Good things can happen when a crowd goes to work on trying to figure out a problem in journalism," she said in a blog post.
"At the same time, completely crowdsourced news investigations can go bad without oversight... An entirely crowdsourced investigation with nobody to oversee it or pay for it will probably go nowhere." - AFP
June 11, 2025: Pakistan celebrated a narrow win over Bangladesh, but beneath the jubilation lies a deeper crisis—from sidelined veterans to a collapsing domestic structure—signaling an urgent need for cricket reform.
June 11, 2025: Journalists walked out of the post-budget press conference in Islamabad to protest the absence of a technical briefing and the government's dismissive behavior, calling it unacceptable and intolerable.
May 31, 2025: Dr. Nauman Niaz has issued a defamation notice to Shoaib Akhtar over derogatory remarks made during a recent broadcast, reigniting a longstanding media feud between the two prominent figures in Pakistan.
May 30, 2025: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has demanded the full repeal of PECA, citing its vague language, coercive powers, and threats to free speech and digital rights in Pakistan.
May 30, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned the murder of journalist Syed Mohammed Shah in Jacobabad, calling for urgent justice and improved safety for media professionals in Sindh.
May 26, 2025: In Rawalpindi, police allegedly side with Jang Group to block 66 reinstated employees from resuming work despite court orders, drawing sharp criticism from unions and press freedom advocates.
May 25, 2025: PFUJ condemns the Jang Group's decision to dismiss over 80 employees in Rawalpindi, calling it an 'economic massacre.' The union warns of nationwide protests if workers are not reinstated.
May 25, 2025: Daily Jang Rawalpindi has terminated over 80 employees, including female staff, despite multiple court rulings in their favor—raising concerns over labor rights violations and misuse of authority in Pakistani media.
May 19, 2025 PJS reports 219 Palestinian journalists killed in Israeli attacks since October 7, with 30 women among the victims. Over 430 were injured and 685 family members were killed. Read more on the systematic targeting of media in Gaza.
May 15, 2025 Discover the legacy of Samiullah Khan, Pakistan’s legendary "Flying Horse," whose breathtaking speed and artistry redefined hockey. From Olympic glory to World Cup triumphs, his story is one of myth, movement, and magic.
May 04, 2025 Algerian authorities suspend Echorouk News TV for 10 days after it used a racist slur against African migrants. ANIRA demands an apology, calling it a violation of human dignity.
May 04, 2025 NCHR and MMfD launch a journalism fellowship to train reporters on digital rights & gender inclusion in Pakistan. Supported by UNESCO, this initiative aims to bridge the gender digital divide. Apply by May 15, 2025!
April 23, 2025 Discover Dr. Nauman Niaz’s In A Different Realm: Story of Quadruple & Triple Centuries 1876–2025, a profound exploration of cricket's most monumental innings, blending historical analysis with poetic narrative.