Re: [WikiEN-l] PR firm accused of whitewashing Wikipedia article on Maldives

[David Goodman]

The material that was removed seems to have been in need of sourcing
and rewriting to a NPOV (whatever the truth of the matter may be). The
present article says very little of any sort, has over-emphasis  on
two riots, and skips the period from 2004 to 2008,  The other articles
on these islands also seem to be in need of  very considerable
attention.

Frankly, what the  PR firm did is not really worse than some other
editors  at those articles


David Goodman, Ph.D, M.L.S.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:DGG



On Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 4:37 PM, Keith Old wrote:
> On Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 6:33 AM, Isabell Long  wrote:
>
>> 2009/9/2 Keith Old :
>> > (More in article)
>>
>> I think you forgot the link to the article.  ;)
>>
>> --
>> Regards,
>> Isabell Long.  
>> [[User:Isabell121]] on all public Wikimedia projects.
>> Freenode Community Co-Ordinator - issyl0 on irc.freenode.net
>> PGP Key ID: 0xB6CA6840
>>
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>
> Isabell,
>
> So I did.
>
> http://www.minivannews.com/news_detail.php?id=7202
>
> Regards
>
>
> Keith
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Re: [WikiEN-l] PR firm accused of whitewashing Wikipedia article on Maldives

[Fred Bauder]

Regardless of the truth, reliance on reliable published sources should
resolve most of these charges and countercharges. That is what we expect
of a public relations firm, both that they identify their purpose in
editing and cite appropriate sources.

Fred



> Minivan News, an independent article on the Maldives, has published
> accusations that a PR company whitewashed an article on the Maldives.
> "A data-mining tool called WikiScanner 
> has
> purportedly revealed PR firm Hill & Knowlton deleted a number of
> statements
> critical of the former government while they were employed by
> ex-President
> Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
>
> According to the online tool, edits on the Wikipedia entry, *Politics of
> the
> Maldives *,
> included
> the removal of the
> following*passage
> *:
>
> “President Gayoom has systematically suppressed any and all political
> activity in the Maldives. His use of election rigging and imprisonment of
> political activists have all ensured that he went unchallenged for over
> 26
> years in office.
>
> “President Gayoom routinely uses torture, propaganda, and censorship as a
> means to cling on to political power.
>
> “Independent news media is non-existent. The three running dailies are
> controlled by cabinet ministers of President Gayoom.”
>
> The company further moderated language on the absence of political
> parties
> in the Maldives, writing instead: “The Maldivian political system was
> based
> around the election of individuals, rather than the more common system of
> elections according to party platform.”
> (...)
>
> Critics of the former regime allege Hill & Knowlton was hired by
> ex-President Gayoom’s government to help him improve the country’s image
> following growing civil unrest and allegations of human rights abuses.
>
> But speaking to Minivan News today, Mohamed Hussein Shareef (Mundhu),
> spokesperson for Gayoom, said the company was recruited in early 2004,
> not
> to whitewash the government’s activities but to teach officials how to
> interface with the international media and develop a communications
> strategy.
>
> On the changes made to Wikipedia, he said he did not believe them to be
> illegitimate due to the questionable authority of the online
> encyclopedia,
> which can be edited by anyone.
>
> “Wikipedia is a point of view or an opinion. The MDP (Maldivian
> Democratic
> Party) used to play with the Wikipedia page on Gayoom all the time,” he
> said. “Just as someone has the right to call our government a human
> rights
> abusing government, as a government we had the right to say, no we’re
> not.”
>
> (More in article)
>
> Regards
>
>
> Keith
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Re: [WikiEN-l] PR firm accused of whitewashing Wikipedia article on Maldives

[Keith Old]

On Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 6:33 AM, Isabell Long  wrote:

> 2009/9/2 Keith Old :
> > (More in article)
>
> I think you forgot the link to the article.  ;)
>
> --
> Regards,
> Isabell Long.  
> [[User:Isabell121]] on all public Wikimedia projects.
> Freenode Community Co-Ordinator - issyl0 on irc.freenode.net
> PGP Key ID: 0xB6CA6840
>
> ___
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> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l
>

Isabell,

So I did.

http://www.minivannews.com/news_detail.php?id=7202

Regards


Keith
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Re: [WikiEN-l] PR firm accused of whitewashing Wikipedia article on Maldives

[Isabell Long]

2009/9/2 Keith Old :
> (More in article)

I think you forgot the link to the article.  ;)

-- 
Regards,
Isabell Long.  
[[User:Isabell121]] on all public Wikimedia projects.
Freenode Community Co-Ordinator - issyl0 on irc.freenode.net
PGP Key ID: 0xB6CA6840

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[WikiEN-l] PR firm accused of whitewashing Wikipedia article on Maldives

[Keith Old]

Minivan News, an independent article on the Maldives, has published
accusations that a PR company whitewashed an article on the Maldives.
"A data-mining tool called WikiScanner  has
purportedly revealed PR firm Hill & Knowlton deleted a number of statements
critical of the former government while they were employed by ex-President
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

According to the online tool, edits on the Wikipedia entry, *Politics of the
Maldives *, included
the removal of the
following*passage
*:

“President Gayoom has systematically suppressed any and all political
activity in the Maldives. His use of election rigging and imprisonment of
political activists have all ensured that he went unchallenged for over 26
years in office.

“President Gayoom routinely uses torture, propaganda, and censorship as a
means to cling on to political power.

“Independent news media is non-existent. The three running dailies are
controlled by cabinet ministers of President Gayoom.”

The company further moderated language on the absence of political parties
in the Maldives, writing instead: “The Maldivian political system was based
around the election of individuals, rather than the more common system of
elections according to party platform.”
(...)

Critics of the former regime allege Hill & Knowlton was hired by
ex-President Gayoom’s government to help him improve the country’s image
following growing civil unrest and allegations of human rights abuses.

But speaking to Minivan News today, Mohamed Hussein Shareef (Mundhu),
spokesperson for Gayoom, said the company was recruited in early 2004, not
to whitewash the government’s activities but to teach officials how to
interface with the international media and develop a communications
strategy.

On the changes made to Wikipedia, he said he did not believe them to be
illegitimate due to the questionable authority of the online encyclopedia,
which can be edited by anyone.

“Wikipedia is a point of view or an opinion. The MDP (Maldivian Democratic
Party) used to play with the Wikipedia page on Gayoom all the time,” he
said. “Just as someone has the right to call our government a human rights
abusing government, as a government we had the right to say, no we’re not.”

(More in article)

Regards


Keith
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