In a groundbreaking study published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, data scientists from Graz University in Germany and the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, uncover a startling revelation about the world's largest online encyclopedia-Wikipedia.
A journalist reads information on the online encyclopedia Wikipedia on Jauary 17, 2012 in Washington, DC. Free online knowledge site Wikipedia will shut down for 24 hours beginning at midnight eastern standard time in protest at draft anti-online piracy legislation before the US Congress, founder Jimmy Wales said Monday on Twitter. AFP PHOTO/Karen BLEIER
Wikipedia's Bias Towards Richer Countries
Phys.org reports that Thorsten Ruprechter, Denis Helic, and Keith Burghardt meticulously analyzed 17,490 articles across four Wikipedia language editions spanning the years 2016 to 2020.
Their findings expose a bias towards events in economically developed countries, shedding light on the intricate dynamics of information dissemination on this global platform.
The study scrutinized the economic status and geographic region of events covered on Wikipedia, revealing a significant correlation between these factors and the attention events received.
The researchers found that events in more economically developed countries were disproportionately represented on Wikipedia compared to those in less affluent regions.
Phys.org tells us that a terrorist attack on civilians in Vienna in 2020 received considerably more attention than a similar attack in Afghanistan, despite the latter resulting in a higher casualty count. The pattern persisted across the analyzed data, suggesting an inherent skew in Wikipedia's coverage.
Read Also: RIP Omegle: Popular Online Chat Website Shuts Down After 14 Years
Take Note
Notably, the researchers stress that their analysis did not uncover intentional bias. Instead, they attribute the disparities in coverage to practical factors such as resource availability.
Countries with lower economic development have fewer volunteers contributing to Wikipedia, creating a gap in coverage. Furthermore, cultural differences in defining newsworthiness also play a role.
Events that may be deemed significant in one country may not carry the same weight in another, impacting the content available on Wikipedia.
A Closer Look
Delving into the intricacies of their study, Ruprechter, Helic, and Burghardt examined articles in four different language editions of Wikipedia. The goal was to determine if a correlation existed between an event's economic status and geographic region and the coverage it received on the platform.
The results affirm the bias towards economically developed countries and highlight that factors beyond economic status contribute to the attention an event receives. For example, the number of casualties in a disaster emerged as a significant influencer of coverage.
This nuanced understanding of Wikipedia's coverage has broader implications, contributing empirical analysis to news value theory.
It challenges assumptions about the neutrality of information dissemination on the platform, suggesting that biases are rooted not only in economic factors but also in how different cultures perceive and prioritize events.
This research carries significant importance as a substantial number of internet users depend on Wikipedia for crucial information. According to a 2019 YouGov survey across five countries, trust in Wikipedia remained consistently high, with 78% to 98% of respondents expressing a high or moderate level of trust in the platform.
Stay posted here at Tech Times.
Related Article: Google Expands AI-Powered Search to Over 120 Countries, Territories
