Wikipedia Changes Entries On Indian News Channels After Report Points To Bias
Wikipedia has edited out the 'disparaging' parts of the pages on Indian news channels following a news report that called out the website's alleged bias.
Wikipedia, in its profiles of leading news channels in India, allegedly labelled them as close to the BJP and stated that the channels reported in favour of the ruling party.
An article in NewsDrum, titled "Wikipedia’s credibility at stake as its editors target more Indian media outlets", highlighted the suspected bias within Wikipedia after its editors doubled down on their criticism of Indian media following the Delhi High Court’s warning to the website in a case pertaining to news agency ANI.
The Delhi High Court had ordered Wikipedia to remove defamatory statements regarding ANI from its website.
However, when Wikipedia failed to adhere to the directive, the Delhi High Court in September hinted at the possibility of a blockade in India if the online encyclopaedia did not comply with court orders.
The page in question had content that ANI claimed was defamatory, suggesting that ANI had been used as a propaganda tool.
At the time, the Canadian government picked up reports from ANI and India Today to accuse the Indian media of "foreign interference" amid a diplomatic row.
Some Wikipedia editors then targeted top Indian media outlets by branding them as mouthpieces of the Narendra Modi government.
The online encyclopaedia, however, never tagged American media outlets as 'mouthpieces' despite their declared political preferences.
What Are The Changes Made by Wikipedia?
Wikipedia has made several changes to the pages of news channels, citing NewsDrum as the source.
While Wikipedia edited out the part describing these outlets as 'Modi aligned' from the intros, the portal continues to highlight the misinformation aspect.
It has also toned down its language — changing from directly branding news outlets as "noted for reporting in favour of the ruling BJP" to using phrases such as 'accused' or 'described'.
In the case of Aaj Tak’s page, Wikipedia removed the line stating: "Noted for reporting in favour of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party."
Similarly, on CNN-News18’s page, the online encyclopaedia removed the sentence: "The channel has been noted for supporting the ideology of the ruling Modi government and works as a propaganda news outlet."
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