Saturday, May 8, 2021

Left Coast Correspondent: Wikipedia's Search Previews Slanted Bigtime Left

Click here to read the original Cautious Optimism Facebook post with comments

The Cautious Optimism Correspondent for Left Coast Affairs and Other Inexplicable Phenomena is generally a fan of Wikipedia despite the frequent criticism and ridicule it receives in online discussions. While the platform is far from perfect, the Correspondent appreciates that Wikipedia articles nearly always have a “criticism” or “other side of the debate” section when discussing controversial subjects. 

Good luck ever finding any mention of “the other side” from our largest media websites, newspapers, or television networks.

However in a disturbing trend reminiscent of loaded/biased Google searches, the Correspondent has recently noticed some major inconsistencies in Wikipedia’s preview descriptions for controversial political figures, political parties, political movements, and media personalities. In the attached screenshots observe the pairs, and sometimes trios, of like public figures on what would be considered the left and right of the political spectrum.

The Correspondent acknowledges the sole notable exception of Adolf Hitler who is soft-glove previewed as “Leader of Germany from 1934 to 1945,” but this is definitely the exception and not the rule—as seen in the descriptions of Benito Mussolini, Augusto Pinochet, and Francisco Franco.

In case the prepared screenshots are too small or difficult to read, refer to this written list of results from the Correspondent's search previews.

Proud Boys: “Far-right and neo-fascist male-only organization”
Antifa: “Anti-fascist political activist movement”

Francisco Franco: “Spanish general and dictator”
Joseph Stalin: “Leader of the Soviet Union from 1924 to 1953”

Benito Mussolini: “Italian dictator and founder of fascism”
Mao Zedong: “Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China”

Augusto Pinochet: “Former dictator of the Republic of Chile”
Pol Pot: “20th-century Cambodian Communist revolutionary and politician”

Hermann Goring: “German Nazi war criminal, politician, and military leader”
Nicolae Ceausescu: “General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party (1965-1989)”

Jean-Marie Le Pen: “French right-wing nationalist politician”
Kim Il-sung: “Founder and first leader of North Korea”
Kim Jong-il: “Second supreme leader of North Korea”
Kim Jong-un: “Current General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and supreme leader of North Korea”
Fidel Castro: “Leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2011”
Siad Barre: “Somali military official and president (1969-1991) of the Somali Democratic Republic

Sturmabteilung (brown shirts): “Nazi Party’s original paramilitary wing”
Red Guards: “1966-67 social movement during the Chinese Cultural Revolution”

David Irving: “British author and Holocaust denier”
Walter Duranty: “Anglo-American journalist”

John Birch Society: “American radical right advocacy group”
Communist Party USA: “American political party”

Dinesh D’Souza: “Indian-American political commentator filmmaker, author, convicted-felon, conspiracy theorist”
Bill Ayers: “American professor and activist”
Michael Moore: “American filmmaker and author”

Fox News: “American conservative cable television news channel”
CNN: “American news channel”
MSNBC: “American television news channel”

Sean Hannity: “American television host, conservative political commentator”
Rachel Maddow: “American television news host and political commentator”

Tucker Carlson: American conservative political commentator from California”
Don Lemon: “American journalist and news anchor”

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