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Should PR agencies be allowed to edit Wikipedia?

September 7, 2007 Posted by Matt in : Bristol , trackback

As six of the top ten PR agencies have been caught making dubious changes to Wikipedia, Montage Communications asks should PR agencies be allowed to change Wikipedia?

I potted an article in PR Week regardingsix of the top ten PR agenices in the UK being warned by Wikipedia for dubious edits. For the record those caught out were FD, Weber Shandwick, Hill & Knowlton, Freud Communications and someone at Finsbury changing Anne Diamond’s profile…. (why!?)

I would ask “Should PR agencies be allowed to make changes?” We already write all the press materials and blogs for our clients so why not Wikipedia? Our feeling is that as long as what you are writing is not misleading or under the auspice of “astroturfing” (practice of creating false grass roots support) then why not, isn’t it just another form of media?

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Comments»

1. weee - September 7, 2007

It's an interesting question. The recent outings of Wiki editing will just mean people edit it from home or cloak their IP address which will hide the problem rather than solve it.

2. David Gerard - September 7, 2007

The reason why can be seen by the public and media reaction to the results from the WikiScanner: they're bloody outraged.

PR people can reason amongst themselves that it's "just another form of media" or that they've worked out something that slips through Wikipedia guidelines on writing about oneself or conflict of interest - but when the rubber hits the road, the public hit the roof.

3. Matt - September 25, 2007

I personnally believe that PR agencies should be allowed to edit a client's Wikipedia, in the same way that a client's website is edited for example. Surely a company has a right to edit copy that descibes what it does and how it approaches CSR etc on one of the worlds largest websites?

I do not agree with editing another 3rd party's wikipedia without their consent or using wikipedia / blogs for "astroturfing" ( which is what the americans refer to when PRs / Lobbyists create a false grass roots support for a project or building initiative.)

M@