It may an indicator of how many PR bloggers read PR Week but there's a story on the front page of last week's UK edition [paywalled] claiming that Wikipedia's founder Jim Wales is threatening to ban PR agencies from contributing to the site.
For non-subscribers, Wales tells the trade mag exclusively:
"If it persists they [PR agencies] will be banned ... There's a huge conflict of interest. Contributors cannot be paid for what they are doing."
Wales' comments came after it emerged Microsoft had been paying a blogger to amend its entries and the US firm MyWikiBiz was banned from editing clients entries earlier last year. I posted about the original case here.
It's an interesting debate but I do wonder what is wrong with PR people editing Wikipedia entries providing they adhere to Wikipedia's guidelines. I have edited Wikipedia entries and personally, I would have no qualms about editing entries about clients. If I see something that is wrong or find an entry I can add to I am happy to help. It's nothing malicious or under-hand. Just helpful. Anyone else have strong thoughts on the issue?
Technorati tags: Wikipedia; Jimmy Wales; ethics; PR agencies
Good post. I started to write one on Friday, but stopped as it was too angry. I've toned it down a bit now and added in a couple of stories from local Cumbrian newspapers (I was visiting my parents at the weekend). Both stories are examples of incorrect and damaging Wikipedia entries that I believe should have been corrected by Copeland Council's PR people.
Posted by: Stuart Bruce - Wolfstar | February 05, 2007 at 06:56 PM
Hello there.
I agree with this post.
One other point, regarding Stuart's comment above. As Copeland BC's only PRO it would be pretty hard to check all of the Copeland related articles on Wikipedia, though I do make occasional checks. In these instances I was alerted to the stories by the local press.
Thanks
Ian
Posted by: Ian Curwen | February 06, 2007 at 09:14 AM
http://tinyurl.com/2o6u64
Has Public Relations Become Synonymous with Spam?
by Amanda Chapel
Monday, October 9, 2006
Posted by: Amanda Chapel | February 06, 2007 at 03:00 PM