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Jimmy Wales has admitted that certain administrators, contrary to their own rules, have at times completely removed editing evidence.

Jimmy Wales has admitted that certain administrators, contrary to their own rules, have at times completely removed editing evidence.

==Accountability and the Seigenthaler hoax ==

==Accountability and the Seigenthaler scandal ==

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 early October 2005, a prominent and retired American journalist, [[John Seigenthaler Sr.]], the first editorial manager of the nations newspaper, ''[[USA Today]]'', contacted Wikipedia founder [[Jimmy Wales]] about false and libelous content in his biographical entry.  Essjay, a 24 Wikipedia Administrator who was advancing rapidly in the organization, was dispatched to handle the situation.<ref>[http://www.wikitruth.info/index.php?title=User:Essjay/Letter User:Essjay/Letter]. Retrieved from WikiTruth, November 3, 2007.</ref>

:"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. Seigenthaler contacted Wikipedia founder [[Jimmy Wales]] by telephone, who insisted that the website is “accountable” and corrects mistakes immediately;<ref>[http://www.journalism.org/node/1673 Seigenthaler's Op-Eds], October 1, 2005. Retrieved from http://www.journalism.org November 12, 2007.</ref> Essjay was then dispatched to delete the inappropriate revisions.<ref>[http://www.wikitruth.info/index.php?title=User:Essjay/Letter User:Essjay/Letter]. Retrieved from WikiTruth, November 3, 2007.</ref>

An anonymous editor added content to Seigenthaler's biography the previous May 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."

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.  

Wales told Seignethaler that the website is accountable and corrects mistakes immediately but that the internet service provider of the anonymous user probably would not be helpful in identifying who placed the content.<ref>[http://www.journalism.org/node/1673 Seigenthaler's Op-Eds], October 1, 2005.  Retrieved from http://www.journalism.org November 12, 2007.</ref> Accountability activist Daniel Brandt, another victim of a spurious biographical entry by Wikipedia Administrators, identified the place of employment of the anonymous user, and from there the person accountable was identified.<ref>http://www.journalism.cf.ac.uk/2006/online/index.php?id=parse-195-0-0-251&article=336&author=India+Camm</ref>  

 

Seigenthaler returned to the editorial pages of ''USA Today'' 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> Seigenthaler is the founder of the First Amendment Center, an organization dedicated to a national dialogue about [[First Amendment]] rights and values.  

=== CNN interview ===

=== CNN interview ===