Changes

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 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.   

[[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>

On December 5, 2005, Wikipedia founder [[Jimbo Wales]] and Seigenthaler appeared on [[CNN]].  Wales told CNN's [[Kyra Philips]], "we're trying to make some minor adjustments."  Seigenthaler complained about the lack of accountability; "with accountability comes credilbility" Seigenthaler observed, and expressed the fear that, ""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."

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."