Wikipedia Writing
Curating some of my "greatest hits" covering Wikipedia over the years.
This list originally appeared on my personal website. I’m copying it here for newsletter readers.
Since 2018, I have written several journalistic pieces covering Wikipedia, and I write a recurring column on the topic for Slate.
Below I have compiled some of my favorite journalistic articles about Wikipedia, organized by topic. You can access my more recent coverage through my newsletter.
Wikipedia, General Background
'“Wikipedia is twenty. It’s time to start covering it better.” Columbia Journalism Review. January 14, 2021. Co-authored with Omer Benjakob.
“From Anarchy to Wikiality, Glaring Bias to Good Cop: Press Coverage of Wikipedia’s First Two Decades.” MIT Press. October 15, 2020. Co-authored with Omer Benjakob.
“Happy 18th birthday, Wikipedia. Let’s celebrate the Internet’s good grown-up.” The Washington Post. January 14, 2019.
International Censorship of Wikipedia
“Why China Blocked Wikipedia in All Languages.” Slate Magazine. May 21, 2019. (“…the timing of the block seems to coincide with the Tiananmen Square protests, which ended violently on June 4, 1989”).
“Wikipedia Has Been Unblocked in Turkey, Finally.” Slate Magazine. January 29, 2020. (“But what worked there may not help in other countries that censor the encyclopedia such as Venezuela”).
Wikipedia in the Midst of the Pandemic
“The Coronavirus is Stress-Testing Wikipedia’s Systems—and Editors.” Slate Magazine. March 19, 2020. (“The deletions, the editor fights—all of it will be important to researchers studying this period”).
“Future Historians Will Need Access to Coronavirus Misinformation.” Slate Magazine. May 20, 2020. (“How does the internet’s encyclopedia stay accurate with news and knowledge changing by the hour?”).
Profiles of Wikipedia Editors
“If You See Something, Write Something.” The New York Times. March 28, 2018. Ryan Ng (user EpicGenius) and Shaul Picker (Kew Gardens 613) have made extensive contributions to the Wikipedia articles about the New York Subway system.
“The Wikipedia contributor behind 2.5 million edits.” The Washington Post Magazine. October 2, 2018. Steven Pruitt is the most prolific Wikipedia contributor to English Wikipedia.
“Closing Wikipedia’s Gender Gap.” OneZero. March 27, 2019. An interview with Wikipedia editor Rosie Stephenson-Goodknight, co-founder of Wikipedia Women in Red.
Wikipedia’s Impact on Culture & Society
“How Wikipedia Became a Battleground for Racial Justice.” Slate Magazine. June 9, 2020. (“Contributors are rethinking what Wikipedia’s commitment to neutrality actually means.”)
“How Wikipedia Can Influence Judges’ Legal Writing.” Slate Magazine. August 17, 2022. (A new study suggests Irish judges are relying on Wikipedia.)
Internal Politics of Wikipedia & Its Editors
“Why Wikipedia Banned Several Chinese Admins.” Slate Magazine. October 26, 2021. (“What type of user would be most willing to take the risk and jump through all of those hoops: a pure free-knowledge enthusiast, a Chinese propagandist, or someone in between?”).
“Wikipedia’s ‘Constitutional Crisis’ Pits Community Against Foundation.” Slate Magazine. July 2, 2019. (“The banning of a single editor named Fram is roiling Wikipedia”).
Public Service Announcements
“Yes, Copying from Wikipedia is Plagiarism.” Slate Magazine. January 19, 2024. (“The question of whether Neri Oxman’s Wikipedia use is plagiarism has a pretty simple answer”).
“WikiLeaks Is Not a Wiki.” Slate Magazine. May 19, 2019. (“The false use of the prefix has hurt the Wikipedia brand”).
“Wikipedia is facing an existential crisis. Can gen Z save it?” The Guardian. September 12, 2024. (“Fortunately, gen Z doesn’t seem inclined to immediately surrender Wikipedia to AI”).
Hopeful Takes
“Wikipedia is Helping Keep the Welsh Language Alive Online.” Slate Magazine. August 7, 2019. (“Welsh and other smaller language movements on Wikimedia projects suggest there may be ways to train technology to allow for cultural differences.”)
“Wikipedia Will Survive A.I.” Slate Magazine. August 24, 2023. (“Rumors of Wikipedia’s death at the hands of ChatGPT are greatly exaggerated”).
The Fun Side of Wikipedia
“The Art of Wikiracing.” Slate Magazine. September 26, 2023. Getting from one random Wikipedia entry to another in the fewest possible clicks.
“The Battle for Curling’s Wikipedia Page.” VICE Sports. February 16, 2018. There is an edit war raging behind the scenes of curling's Wikipedia page. A lot of it has to do with trolls claiming it's not a sport.
“Why Wikipedia Is So Tough on Bigfoot.” Slate Magazine. February 13, 2023. (“The two sides of Wikipedia’s Never-Ending Cryptozoological War could both stand to make some concessions”).
i adore wikipedia!