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Wikipedia co-founder fights fake news with Wikitribune
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Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales launches Wikitribune to combat the spread of fake news. (www.wikitribune.com/File)
In order to combat the spread of fake news, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales has launched Wikitribune.
Wikitribune will set up professional journalists with a group of volunteer community contributors and pay said journalists with crowdfunded earnings.
Described by Wales as “news by the people and for the people”, the platform will allow those who donate to have a say on which subjects the website will focus on, though he intends for the site as a whole to focus on specific subjects such as politics and science and technology.
“This will be the first time that professional and citizen journalists will work side-by-side as equals, writing stories as they happen, editing them live as they develop, and at all times backed by a community checking and rechecking all facts,” Wales told The Guardian.
Read also: News sites come together to fight fake news
While Wikitribune will be launched ahead of the UK general election, Wales said he was pushed by the current political situation in the United States.
“Someone I know convinced me to give Trump 100 days before making my mind up, but then on day one Kellyanne Conway came out and said her ‘alternative facts’ line. That was when I really decided to move forward.”
The crowdfunding campaign currently has “support packages” to fund the journalists for pre-sale, but like Wikipedia, Wikitribune will be free to access for all. (sul/kes)
