2019/Grants/WikiPolice
Title:
WikiPolice
Name:
Samantha Sunne
Wikimedia username:
ssunne
E-mail address:
samanthasunne
gmail.com
Resume:
https://samanthasunne.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/SamanthaSunne_Resume.pdf and http://yaelwrites.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/YaelCreativeResume2018-1.pdf
Geographical impact:
US
Type of project:
Event
What is your idea?
Police misinformation in the US has led to extensive damage both in the real world and online. WikiPolice is an editathon that will inspire users to improve Wikipedia's database of information on police incidents. The initial editathon will be focused on events in the U.S. in 2020. We envision a series of three events. One would focus on misinformation in police incident reports, such as those surrounding the death of George Floyd which police initially said was due to a “medical incident.” A second event would focus on public accusations by police that turn out to be false or misleading, such as false claims that officers were poisoned by bleach-spiked milkshakes purchased at Shake Shack. The third would focus on police distribution of rumors, like when a law enforcement website said that protesters were staging piles of bricks to riot. These are three types of misinformation spread by police this year, so we think grouping the page edits along these lines will provide some organization and provide extra opportunities for promotion. We are seeking to work with other Wikipedia communities, and plan to ask ones experienced in editathons - mainly NY and DC - for assistance. Samantha, one of our organizers, met the leader of NY editathons at a MisinfoCon event this year and will reach out to him after we have secured a grant. We also plan to harness help from groups working on police brutality or on misinformation, like MisinfoCon and the Credibility Coalition. We plan to feature a guest speaker in each iteration of the editathon who can motivate attendees and help spread the word. We plan to reach out to the Law Enforcement WikiProject for a potential partnership.
Why is it important?
While misinformation in general has been identified as a crisis all over the world, misinformation from police sources has received relatively little study from a scientific or academic perspective. An effort by MisinfoCon to locate resources and publications on this topic has unearthed very little existing research. This is especially problematic in the US, because discussions around police have generated an enormous amount of content and misinformation this year. Among the public, there is very high interest, but much less verified understanding.
Is your project already in progress?
Yes. Yael has begun compiling initial research in this Google Doc. We plan to expand and adapt this compilation of police misinformation incidents into a suggested worklist for editathons, including, but not limited to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_police_shoving_incident https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_George_Floyd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Floyd_protests https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Floyd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proud_Boys#Anti-BLM_protests_and_COVID-19_misinformation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_Benevolent_Association_of_the_City_of_New_York
How is it relevant to credibility and Wikipedia? (max 500 words)
We believe counteracting police misinformation would contribute credibility to Wikipedia as well as contribute valuable information to an ongoing and contentious public discourse. MisinfoCon is a group of researchers that undertakes many different projects contributing to the misinformation problem in different ways. In addition, the main researchers will be two journalists with extensive experience in building credibility through multiple documented sources.
What is the ultimate impact of this project?
The goal of this project is to stabilize Wikipedia's repository of information on police misinformation incidents. This repository will provide a firm, evidence-based resource for people engaging in these ongoing and often contentious conversations.
Could it scale?
Yes, because this project is in research and publishing, it can scale indefinitely, commensurate with the editors and researchers contributing to it. While our research is US-based, we envision editors in other countries expanding the research to regions and languages relevant to them. In addition, because MisinfoCon is global, we could foresee this project expanding through other MisinfoCon efforts in this space.
Why are you the people to do it?
Yael Grauer is an independent journalist and editor who began compiling documented cases of police misinformation in 2020, in response to a dizzying array of news stories that incidentally spread misinformation. Samantha Sunne is the managing editor of MisinfoCon and a trainer with First Draft News. She is familiar with the standards of anti-misinformation projects and experienced in managing projects in that sphere.
What is the impact of your idea on diversity and inclusiveness of the Wikimedia movement?
Police misinformation is an under-studied topic, according to research by MisinfoCon. There are few studies and even fewer resources for activists, journalists, and other interested parties to engage responsibly with this topic. It disproportionately affects people of color, especially Black people in the US, so reinforced credibility on this subject is especially important. We also plan to elevate voices from people of color as our guest speakers during the editathons themselves. In addition, this project can be scaled to other languages and countries.
What are the challenges associated with this project and how you will overcome them?
One challenge is the lack of existing research and resources on this topic, which this project is attempting to rectify. Another is the conflicting and sometimes confusing accounts by police, especially around issues that spark intense emotion, like protests, racial issues in the US, and accountability. Additionally, many newspapers report police statements directly and aren’t always able to get comments from witnesses, the accused or other involved parties. We will overcome these obstacles by leaning on the MisinfoCon community, a group of over 1,000 misinformation researchers and scientists. This gives us access that most researchers are missing. In addition, Sunne and Grauer are journalists with more than 20 years of combined experience fact-checking and publishing verified information. Another challenge is that work centered around police disinformation is sometimes accused of being subjective. Samantha and Yael are both journalists skilled in objectivity and committed to accuracy without bias. The most accurate depictions of events are by definition neutral. We also plan to include a disclaimer on promotional materials that subjective or opinionated content will not be accepted, under WIkipedia rules.
How much money are you requesting?
1000 USD
How will you spend the money?
The funds will be used to fund the online editathon event, including prizes, entertainment and promotion. A small part will be used to compensate the organizers for their initial research and planning. We are reserving $400 to promote participation. Currently we are envisioning giving each participant a $10 "charity gift card" that they can direct to a charity of their choice. We are budgeting these donations for up to 40 participants. $100 will go to compensating guest speakers via donation to the nonprofit they work for, or a charity of their choice. $500 will be spent on labor, including organization, promotion, training, production of documents, etc., accounting for a combined total of 40-60 labor hours. Up to $100 will be used for promotional materials such as graphic design and paid ads.
How long will your project take?
We estimate the event will take 6 to 8 weeks to prepare. Yael has started the foundation of the research, which we will use as a jumping off point.
Have you worked on projects for previous grants before?
No. Yael and I have both completed grant-funded projects in the past, but this is our first for WikiCred.