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→Accountability and the Seigenthaler Hoax: Tom Delay & the NYT
In May 2005, an anonymous user added content to the biographical page on [[John Seigenthaler Sr]], a journalist and an assistant to former attorney general [[Robert F. Kennedy]] that stated:
In May 2005, an anonymous user added content to the biographical page on [[John Seigenthaler Sr]], a journalist and an assistant to former attorney general [[Robert F. Kennedy]] that stated:
:"John Seigenthaler Sr. was the assistant to Attorney General Robert Kennedy in the early 1960s. For a short time, he was thought to have been directly involved in the Kennedy assassinations of both [[John F. Kennedy|John]], and his brother, Bobby. Nothing was ever proven," and "John Seigenthaler moved to the [[Soviet Union]] in 1971, and returned to the [[United States]] in 1984. He started one of the country's largest public relations firms shortly thereafter."
:"John Seigenthaler Sr. was the assistant to Attorney General Robert Kennedy in the early 1960s. For a short time, he was thought to have been directly involved in the Kennedy assassinations of both [[John F. Kennedy|John]], and his brother, Bobby. Nothing was ever proven," and "John Seigenthaler moved to the [[Soviet Union]] in 1971, and returned to the [[United States]] in 1984. He started one of the country's largest public relations firms shortly thereafter."
The false information remained in Wikipedia for many months until a friend of the victim discovered the biographical entry in September 2005 and alerted Seigenthaler, who then contacted the Wikimedia foundation to have the article corrected. Daniel Brandt, another victim of a spurious biographical entry sought to establish accountability and discovered the perpetrator of the prank was Brian Chase, an acquaintance of a Seigenthaler relative.<ref>http://www.journalism.cf.ac.uk/2006/online/index.php?id=parse-195-0-0-251&article=336&author=India+Camm</ref> Seigenthaler, the first editorial director of ''[[USA Today]]'' returned to the editorial pages of that publication to criticize the lack of accountability and threat Wikipedia poses to free speech.<ref>http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-11-29-wikipedia-edit_x.htm</ref> After his retirement from ''USA Today'' Seigenthaler founded of the First Amendment Center, an organization dedicated to a national dialogue about [[First Amendment]] rights and values. Seigenthaler told [[CNN]],
The false information remained in Wikipedia for many months until a friend of the victim discovered the biographical entry in September 2005 and alerted Seigenthaler, who then contacted the Wikimedia foundation to have the article corrected. Daniel Brandt, another victim of a spurious biographical entry sought to establish accountability and discovered the perpetrator of the prank was an acquaintance of a Seigenthaler relative.<ref>http://www.journalism.cf.ac.uk/2006/online/index.php?id=parse-195-0-0-251&article=336&author=India+Camm</ref> Seigenthaler, the first editorial director of ''[[USA Today]]'' returned to the editorial pages of that publication to criticize the lack of accountability and threat Wikipedia poses to free speech.<ref>http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-11-29-wikipedia-edit_x.htm</ref> After his retirement from ''USA Today'' Seigenthaler founded of the First Amendment Center, an organization dedicated to a national dialogue about [[First Amendment]] rights and values. Seigenthaler told [[CNN]],
[[Image:Seigraph.gif|400px|thumb|right|The Seigenthaler scandal was viewed as "the best thing that ever happened to Wikipedia" as curiosity seekers to view the [[misinformation]] skyrocketed Alexa rankings.]]
[[Image:Seigraph.gif|400px|thumb|right|The Seigenthaler scandal was viewed as "the best thing that ever happened to Wikipedia" as curiosity seekers to view the [[misinformation]] skyrocketed Alexa rankings.]]
:"I'm afraid we're going to get regulated media as a result of that. And I -- I tell you, I think if you can't fix it, both fix the history as well as the biography pages, I think it's going to be in real trouble, and we're going to have to be fighting to keep the government from regulating you.<ref>http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0512/05/lol.02.html</ref>
:"I'm afraid we're going to get regulated media as a result of that. And I -- I tell you, I think if you can't fix it, both fix the history as well as the biography pages, I think it's going to be in real trouble, and we're going to have to be fighting to keep the government from regulating you.<ref>http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0512/05/lol.02.html</ref>
On December 9, Seigenthaler appeared on C-SPAN's Washington Journal with Brian Lamb. Seigenthaler expressed concern that members of Congress or other powerful figures in government may likewise be targeted. On November 2 2006, only days before the mid-term Congressional elections, an anonymous IP address which traces to the ''[[New York Times]]''<ref>[http://wikiscanner.virgil.gr/name2ip.php?orgname=New+York+Times&location= WikiScanner]</ref> changed the wording of [[U.S. House of Representatives]] [[Majority Leader]] [[Tom DeLay]]'s biographical entry from "a prominent member of the [[Republican Party]]" to "Grand Dragon<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_DeLay&diff=prev&oldid=85320018 Wikipedia/Tom DeLay, Revision as of 20:19, 2 November 2006 (edit), IP 199.181.174.146 </ref> of the Republican Party."
Despite the damage to an innocent person and embarrassment to Wikipedia's credibility as a viable source, the Seigenthaler scandal was viewed as a triumph by Wikipedia's inner elite and is considered "the best thing that ever happened to Wikipedia" <ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:John_Seigenthaler%2C_Sr.#The_best_thing_that_ever_happened_to_Wikipedia Talk:John Seigenthaler Sr.#The best thing that ever happened to Wikipedia], retrieved 23 March 2007.</ref> after it catapulted Wikipedia's <ref>[http://wikipediareview.com/lofiversion/index.php?t1100.html Wikipedia: A Nightmare Of Libel and Slander], Joel Leyden, Israel News Agency, 8 May 2006.</ref> rankings into a top ten most visited website and gave it its first substantial publicity outside America.
Despite the damage to an innocent person and embarrassment to Wikipedia's credibility as a viable source, the Seigenthaler scandal was viewed as a triumph by Wikipedia's inner elite and is considered "the best thing that ever happened to Wikipedia" <ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:John_Seigenthaler%2C_Sr.#The_best_thing_that_ever_happened_to_Wikipedia Talk:John Seigenthaler Sr.#The best thing that ever happened to Wikipedia], retrieved 23 March 2007.</ref> after it catapulted Wikipedia's <ref>[http://wikipediareview.com/lofiversion/index.php?t1100.html Wikipedia: A Nightmare Of Libel and Slander], Joel Leyden, Israel News Agency, 8 May 2006.</ref> rankings into a top ten most visited website and gave it its first substantial publicity outside America.