Only 6% of Americans trust the media these days. But can you blame them? Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton are the least popular presidential candidates in American history. But can you blame them? However, there seems to be a beacon of fairness out there. Could Wikipedia provide the sanity we need?
According to Harvard Business School, Wikipedia maybe the most balanced website out there. But it wasn’t always like this. But over the years, they moderated toward neutral ground. Now, many believe Wikipedia to be about as balanced as an encyclopedia. As a result, we can thank the contributors and editors for this.
Also, they noticed certain political phrases don’t appear in Wikipedia as much. Phrases often used by Republicans include ‘death tax’ and ‘secure the border’. In addition, phrases often used by Democrats include ‘tax breaks’ and ‘change the rules’. You’ll hardly find these phrases in a Wikipedia article. Harvard Business School professor?Shane Greenstein commends Wikipedia for striving be neutral. Many writers started their careers leaning hard toward one political party or system. So that’s how they started their Wikipedia journey. But over the years, most have gone neutral. Furthermore, Wikipedia has a manual of rules that talk about how to behave. They urge their writers not to go too far either way.
I’m not saying Wikipedia is perfect. I won’t even call it the best news source. But in an era and season of so much rhetoric, I’m glad somebody can be neutral. It’s enough when you got Facebook friends pulling you every way. But you have media sites and talking heads pulling us every way. And most of this rhetoric isn’t pretty. In fact, it’s the ugliest I’ve ever heard. My parents, aunts and uncles, who came of age in the Turbulent Sixties, say they never heard it this bad. Aren’t you glad there is some neutrality in a world of insanity?