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 <http://wikiscanner.virgil.gr/> > 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 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_the_Maldives>*, > included > the removal of the > following*passage<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=prev&oldid=15778660> > *: > > 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 Gayooms government to help him improve the countrys 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 governments 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 were > not. > > (More in article) > > Regards > > > Keith > _______________________________________________ > WikiEN-l mailing list > WikiEN-l@lists.wikimedia.org > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit: > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l > _______________________________________________ WikiEN-l mailing list WikiEN-l@lists.wikimedia.org To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l
