Submissions:2015/Journalism and the online information community

Title

Journalism and the online information community: How Wikimedians cover Wikimedia

Theme

Community

Type of submission

Panel

Author

Robert Fernandez

E-mail address

wikigamaliel@gmail.com

Username

Gamaliel

Affiliation

Wikipedia Signpost

Abstract

Wikipedia makes a massive contribution to the world's knowledge and information accessibility. By many metrics, the hundreds of language-Wikipedias and other Wikimedia projects comprise one of the world's largest institutions; yet it is relatively unnoticed by journalists, except when major controversies arise. Mainstream journalism has only scratched the surface of this complex web of websites, projects, and the volunteers and paid staff who run the Wikimedia movement, leaving the job of documenting and explaining its workings to the movement itself. A number of institutions and solo projects devoted to Wikimedia journalism are attempting to fill this gap, raising many interesting questions: such as:

• How does community journalism differ from professional media coverage of Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects?
• How does the nature of the community institution affect the coverage it creates?
• How does the lack of professional journalism training, expertise, and resources affect community journalism?

The panel will discuss approaches to Wikimedia community journalism and the advantages, challenges, and biases of each.

Panelists:

• William Beutler, The Wikipedian
• Aleksey Bilogur, associate editor, Wikipedia Signpost
• Ed Erhart, WMF Communications; former editor-in-chief, Wikipedia Signpost
• Robert Fernandez, co-editor-in-chief, Wikipedia Signpost
• Andreas Kolbe, Wikipediocracy; Wikipedia Signpost
• Andrew Lih, Professor of journalism at American University; Wikipedia Weekly podcast

Length of presentation

45-60 min. (60 would be preferred given the size of the panel, but we can work with 45.)

Special schedule requests

We'd like to display PowerPoint slides, but it's not absolutely essential.

Will you attend WikiConference USA if your submission is not accepted?

Other panelists yes, submitter tentative.

Interested attendees

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