This article discusses Jimmy Wales plan of a new news service that combines the work of professional journalists and volunteers. "Wikitribune" aims to have "factual and neutral" articles that help combat the problem of "fake news". Wikitribune will be ad-free and free-to-read, but will rely on supporters making regular donations.Mr Wales believes that the advertising-based model used by most of the media had led it to "chase clicks", which affected standards, thus the reason to why he decided to go for an entirely new model. This however isnt only reinventing the commercial model for journalism but also its reinventing the editorial one too. Wikitribune will be based on the work of both journalists and volunteers. News has traditionally been selected by editors, who are gatekeepers and curators. But Wales, who is the founding editor of this publication, doesn't see it like that. "It's more a management role than editorial vision or pursuing an agenda," The fact that people are willing to pay for high-quality news highlights the potential of Wikitribune. Wales cited New York Times subscriptions and Guardian membership as examples, suggesting that Wikitribune may be a success if done right.
I find the concept of Wikitribune interesting as it is innovative and different to traditional forms of media outlets, I am not sure if Wikitribune will be able to conquer the issue of fake news, but believe it highlights a new era for media outlets due to the new model it is based on.
This article discusses how the US government has backed down from its attempt to unmask an anonymous Twitter account that criticized the Trump administration, which was a victory for free speech advocates. Twitter sued the Department of Homeland Security to block its effort to gain identifying information about an anonymous account which a day later saw the attorneys from the justice department withdraw their disputes. This was seen as a victory by free speech advocates who had reacted with outrage to the fact that government officials were targeting anonymous dissidents, which could be argued to be a breach to rights, as we should all have the rights to criticise whether it is anonymously or not. The account is one of dozens of “alternative” Twitter accounts that have sprung up since Trump’s inauguration. The accounts express the views of dissenting civil servants within various federal agencies, but they are generally anonymous and unverifiable. The president’s ongoing hostility to both the press and his critics, alongside this case continue to raise concerns for free speech advocates, as some see the future as threatened due to Trumps presidency.
Personally I find it quite surprising that a lawsuit was opened, and that this foreshadows the threats to come towards social media and freedom of speech. However, this is a victory for not only free speech advocates but also technological companies and the press, which are under threat as demonstrated by Trumps criticisms.
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