SourceWatch 195501 226174440 2008-07-17T04:16:15Z JamesMLane 38027 /* Criticism */ restore claim with source, which is ridiculously easy to find (see [[The New York Sun]]) {{cleanup|date=June 2007}} {{Infobox Website | name = SourceWatch | logo = [[Image:Sourcewatch logo.png]] | screenshot = | caption = SourceWatch's [[logo]] features a [[magnifying glass]] through which its name can be seen. | url = http://www.sourcewatch.org/ | commercial = No | type = [[Wiki]], [[database]] | language = [[English language|English]] | registration = Available | owner = [[Center for Media and Democracy]] | author = [[Sheldon Rampton]] | launch date = 2003 | current status = active | revenue = }} '''SourceWatch''' (formerly '''Disinfopedia'''), is an internet site which is a "collaborative project" of the [[Center for Media and Democracy]] (CMD). It was created by the CMD's research director, [[Sheldon Rampton]]. According to the project's website, it "aims to produce a directory of [[public relations]] firms, [[think tanks]], industry-funded organizations and industry-friendly experts that work to influence [[public opinion]] and [[public policy]] on behalf of [[corporations]], [[governments]] and [[special interests]]."<ref name=edpol>[http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch:Editorial_Policy "Editorial Policy,"] ''SourceWatch'', last updated [[May 23]], [[2007]], accessed [[June 25]], [[2007]].</ref> ==Sponsor== The sponsor of SourceWatch is the [[Center for Media and Democracy]] (CMD), a nonprofit [[United States|American]]-based [[news media|news media research group]] founded in 1993 by [[environmentalist]] writer and [[political activist]] [[John Stauber]]. In addition to SourceWatch, CMD publishes [[PR Watch]], a quarterly newsletter edited by [[Laura A. Miller]]. The creator of SourceWatch, [[Sheldon Rampton]], is CMD's research director.{{See|Center for Media and Democracy}} ==Mission statement== According to SourceWatch, it aims: <blockquote>to produce a directory of the people, organizations and issues shaping the public agenda. A primary purpose of SourceWatch is documenting the [[Public relations|PR]] and [[propaganda]] activities of public relations firms and public relations professionals engaged in managing and manipulating public perception, opinion and policy. SourceWatch also includes profiles on [[think tanks]], industry-funded organizations and industry-friendly experts that work to influence [[public opinion]] and [[public policy]] on behalf of [[corporation]]s, [[government]]s and [[Interest group|special interest]]s. Over time, SourceWatch has broadened to include others involved in public debates including [[mass media|media outlets]], [[Journalist|journalists]] and [[Government agency|government agencies]]. Unlike some other [[wikis]], SourceWatch has a policy of strict referencing, and is overseen by a paid editor.<ref name=AboutHist/></blockquote> ==History== Rampton created SourceWatch on [[January 15]], [[2003]], and launched it publicly with 200 articles on [[March 10]], [[2003]]. According to SourceWatch's own statistics, it included over 15,000 articles as of March 2007.<ref name=AboutHist>[http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch:About#History About SourceWatch (Site history)].</ref> The content of Sourcewatch is licensed under the [[GNU Free Documentation License]]. ==Editorial and security policies== The editor of SourceWatch is [[Bob Burton (journalist)|Bob Burton]], who began to edit it part-time in October 2003. As its editor, Burton, who also serves as the project's main contact person, provides oversight as a [[public relations]] analyst.<ref name=PRWbios>[http://www.prwatch.org/cmd/bios.php "Bob Burton"], ''[[PR Watch]], ''[[Center for Media and Democracy]]'', [[December 24]], [[2006]], accessed [[June 25]], [[2007]].</ref> The stated goals for registered users who are permitted to edit SourceWatch are "accuracy and fairness."<ref name=artguide>[http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch:Article_guidelines SourceWatch: Article guidelines"], ''SourceWatch'', accessed [[June 25]], [[2007]].</ref> Its editorial guidelines stress the importance of maintaining the accuracy of its source citations and admonish its editors to "Be fair".<ref name=pol>For more information, see [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch:Policy#Generally_accepted_policies "Generally accepted policies"] and, particularly, [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch:Policy#Be_fair "Be fair"] (and related links), ''SourceWatch'', accessed [[June 25]], [[2007]].</ref> Sourcewatch is available on the web as a [[wiki]], maintained by a community of interested users worldwide. When SourceWatch began, any visitor to the site could edit existing articles and create new ones. In April 2006, however, SourceWatch changed its policy, henceforth requiring users to register and log in before editing its articles and restricting unregistered visitors to reading articles only.<ref name=edpol>[http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch:Editorial_Policy "Editorial Policy,"] ''SourceWatch'', last updated [[May 23]], [[2007]], accessed [[June 25]], [[2007]].</ref> The [[Center for Media and Democracy]] sets the editorial and "security policies" under which SourceWatch operates. SourceWatch provides recommended editorial guidelines to its users but reserves privileges to modify content and to delete articles for its administrators, referred to (as in other [[wiki]]s) as [[Wikipedia:Administrators|"Sysops"]].<ref name=edpol/><ref name=Fix>For further information about editing and security policies, see also: [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch:How_Fix_An_Error "SourceWatch: How to Fix an Error"], ''SourceWatch'': "Errors and Complaints", and [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch:Editorial_policy#Security "Security"], both accessed [[June 25]], [[2007]].</ref> Information about "administrators" ("sysops") in SourceWatch is hyperlinked via its "[[FAQ]]".<ref name=FAQ>[http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch:FAQ "FAQ"], ''SourceWatch'', accessed [[June 25]], [[2007]]; see [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch:Administrators "SourceWatch:List of Administrators"]. (It appears not to be specified at such links the procedure whereby SourceWatch users acquire status and privileges as administrators. For such administrative policies in Wikipedia, cf. [[Wikipedia:Administrators|Sysops]]. SourceWatch states in its section in [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch:Policy#Generally_accepted_policies "Generally accepted policies"] on "How are these policies formulated?" that its policies and guidelines are based "by and large" on those of Wikipedia. There appears to be no featured link, however, to specific policies governing the granting of "sysops" ("administrator") status to SourceWatch users. It may not be clear to a SourceWatch user, therefore, how such sysops are nominated and approved.)<!--Following [[WP:NOR]], if such specific information is accessible on SourceWatch, or cited in (a) reliable verifiable source(s), please update this citation to make reference to it (them). [[Wikipedia:Reliable sources]].--></ref> ==Reception== ===Praise=== <!--Given the amount of "criticism" included in the earlier section, now separate, this section needs further development in keeping with [[Wikipedia:Neutral point of view]].--> * [[Michael Pollan]], author of ''The Botany of Desire'', writes: ''As a journalist frequently on the receiving end of various PR campaigns, some of them based on [[disinformation]], others front groups for undisclosed interests, [[Center for Media and Democracy|CMD's SourceWatch]] is an invaluable resource.''<ref name=SWhome>[http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch Homepage of Sourcewatch], aaccessed [[June 25]], [[2007]].</ref> * [[Canada|Canadian]] freelance journalist and science writer Zoe Cormier writes: ''Thanks for all your help. There's no way I could have done my piece on big PR and global warming without the CMD [[Center for Media and Democracy]] and your fabulous websites.''<ref name=SWhome/><ref name=Cormier>See [http://www.zoecormier.com/bio.asp Biography of Zoe Cormier] on her website for related information.</ref> ===Criticism=== [[Alan Caruba]], a corporate [[public relations]] counselor<ref name=CO>Alan Caruba, [http://www.caruba.com/credentials.htm "Caruba's credentials"], The Caruba Organization, accessed [[June 25]], [[2007]].</ref>, vocal [[global warming skeptic]]<ref>Alan Caruba, [http://www.anxietycenter.com/warning/v9n1.htm "Warning Signs: "Global warming on steroids"], National Anxiety Center, [[January 3]], [[2007]].</ref>, and founder of the [[National Anxiety Center]], writes "Source Watch is a project of the Center of Media & Democracy, a [[Left-wing politics|left-wing]] organization that devotes a lot of time to attacking the public relations profession in general and [[Conservatism|conservative]] writers in particular."<ref>[[Alan Caruba]], [http://www.expertclick.com/NewsReleaseWire/default.cfm?Action=ReleaseDetail&ID=11499 "Smearing Conservative Writers"], online posting, ''expertclick.com'', rpt. news release (letter), [[National Anxiety Center]], [[January 29]], [[2006]], accessed [[June 25]], [[2007]].</ref> SourceWatch was characterized as "a left-leaning group" in ''[[The New York Sun]]''<ref>[http://www.nysun.com/article/56901?page_no=1 "Big Pharma Readies Effort To Counter Moore's 'Sicko'"], ''[[The New York Sun]]'', [[June 20]], [[2007]]: 2, accessed [[June 25]], [[2007]] (3 pages)</ref>, a publication called "right-of-center" by its co-founder<ref>{{Citation |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/clyne200407190902.asp |title=Bright Light in a Big City |author=Meghan Clyne |date=[[July 19]], [[2004]] |publisher=National Review Online |accessdate=2008-02-04}}</ref>. ==See also== *[[Center for Media and Democracy]] *[[Media transparency]] *[[Watchdog journalism]] *[[Transparency (humanities)]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.sourcewatch.org/ SourceWatch.org] - SourceWatch is a collaborative project of the [[Center for Media and Democracy]] *[http://www.prwatch.org/ PRWatch] - Center for Media and Democracy, Publishers of PRWatch. [[Category:Media analysis websites]] [[Category:American political websites]] [[Category:GFDL]] [[Category:MediaWiki websites]] [[Category:Wiki communities]] [[Category:Online encyclopedias]] [[cs:SourceWatch]] [[de:SourceWatch]] [[it:SourceWatch]] [[hu:SourceWatch]] [[nl:SourceWatch]] [[pl:SourceWatch]]