Week 7 Reflection: Wikipedia in the Age of Misinformation — Protecting Facts Amid the Information Flood

Name: CHENYUNLIN

Summary
In an era where misinformation spreads rapidly through social media and algorithm-driven platforms, Wikipedia stands out as an open collaborative space for verifying information. However, it is also vulnerable to digital manipulation and sabotage. Editors must constantly confront coordinated misinformation campaigns and malicious actions to maintain accuracy.

In early 2023, a viral conspiracy theory about a public health issue led to numerous false edits across multiple language versions of Wikipedia. The community responded quickly, but this incident exposed Wikipedia’s fragility in a highly polarized environment.

To safeguard content quality, Wikipedia has strengthened editing filters and automated review bots, raised citation standards, and the Wikimedia Foundation is developing tools to detect patterns of misinformation across pages.

Looking ahead, Wikipedia may need to increase cooperation with academic institutions and fact-checking organizations, especially for sensitive and high-risk topics, to ensure information reliability. While technology plays a key role, the platform’s reputation ultimately depends on the dedication and efforts of human editors.

My Thoughts
Wikipedia’s openness is both its strength and its weakness. In today’s world flooded with misinformation, we must protect such a platform that values facts and transparency.

Critical reading skills are more important than ever. Instead of blaming technology or media, we should learn and teach others how to verify the content we read, including what we find on Wikipedia. 

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