The Wikimedia Foundation, the parent company of Wikipedia.org, has launched an open collaboration project, "Wikitribune", featuring professional and community-based journalists as contributors for creating fact-checked stories for the web.

Wikitribune is harping on the same formula that made Wikipedia popular to produce same result for battling fake news stories online.

While, this follows the recent criticism of social media sites including Google and Facebook for their role in spreading demonstrably false stories ahead of the U.S. presidential election.

Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia co-founder is hoping the formula that made Wikipedia popular will have the same effect, describing it as news "by the people and for the people" with content featuring full transcripts, video and audio.

Wikitribune's page stated that enough money has already been raised to hire at least five journalists, through a crowdfunding campaign. Albeit, when the first issue will be out remains unknown, but its expected to be free and in English.

And perhaps, the fact that this is first time that professional journalists and community-based contributors will work side by side as equals writing stories as they happen, backed by a community checking and re-checking all facts, may certainly make a big deal.

Wikitribune: Open Collaboration to fact-check News stories online



The Wikimedia Foundation, the parent company of Wikipedia.org, has launched an open collaboration project, "Wikitribune", featuring professional and community-based journalists as contributors for creating fact-checked stories for the web.

Wikitribune is harping on the same formula that made Wikipedia popular to produce same result for battling fake news stories online.

While, this follows the recent criticism of social media sites including Google and Facebook for their role in spreading demonstrably false stories ahead of the U.S. presidential election.

Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia co-founder is hoping the formula that made Wikipedia popular will have the same effect, describing it as news "by the people and for the people" with content featuring full transcripts, video and audio.

Wikitribune's page stated that enough money has already been raised to hire at least five journalists, through a crowdfunding campaign. Albeit, when the first issue will be out remains unknown, but its expected to be free and in English.

And perhaps, the fact that this is first time that professional journalists and community-based contributors will work side by side as equals writing stories as they happen, backed by a community checking and re-checking all facts, may certainly make a big deal.