Wikipedia Marks 25 Years With Shift in Neutrality Policy

Wikipedia is marking its 25th anniversary this year. The platform has changed how it defines and applies its original neutral point of view policy over time. In the beginning, Wikipedia acknowledged that extreme minority views could receive less attention than majority views.

In August 2005, editors began discouraging undue weight to discredited ideas. By August 2011, the site referenced the BBC and used the term false balance.

A similar shift occurred with how the platform handled pseudoscience. The original policy explained mainstream scientific views while also presenting what the theories themselves stated. By February 2009, Wikipedia decided to label some theories as fringe in its own voice.

The policy on reliable sources was introduced in 2005. Over the years, the list of sources considered unreliable grew more restricted. In July 2018, a table of perennial sources was introduced.

With only establishment sources regarded as reliable, some views previously tolerated on the platform were later labeled fringe. The Bible and other religious writings generally cannot be used. Wikipedia describes recent events in Gaza as a genocide in its own voice.

Acupuncture and chiropractic are labeled pseudoscience. The COVID-19 lab leak theory is dismissed as having no evidence. A 2024 Manhattan Institute study by David Rozado showed more negative sentiment attached to right-leaning politicians than to left-leaning ones.

Wikipedia recently labeled the GOP a right-wing to far-right political party. The source for the label was the V-Dem Institute. Larry Sanger is the co-founder of Wikipedia.