The Future of Journalism in a Wikipedia World

The Internet has brought sweeping change to the practice of journalism including blogging, drones, content farms, and RSS. But what about Wikipedia?

The site has been the web’s top destination for original content for many years; its founding predates YouTube, MySpace, and the Huffington Post. Wikipedia stands alone among top web sites as a volunteer-driven project; its content has been built entirely without a traditional editorial structure or paid staff.

Wikipedia has many impacts on journalism, and offers lessons and opportunities to those in the profession. In this session — hosted at Nomiku (http://www.nomiku.com/) (who will serve mouth-watering appetizers and cocktails, see below) and co-sponsored by Wiki Strategies (http://wikistrategies.net) — we will explore questions like:

• Are journalism values present in Wikipedia’s policies and practices?

• Do amateurs and dabblers act like journalists in their Wikipedia work? Should they?

• How have journalists engaged with Wikipedia? What are their successes and failures?

• Have journalists been able to advance the public’s understanding of stories by doing so?

• Have they advanced their own careers?

• Have journalists been able to do bigger and better things, by building on the foundation of Wikipedia’s content?

• Does Wikipedia threaten business models in journalism, or offer new business opportunities?

• Can a close reading of Wikipedia offer insights into how the world of journalism works — or, for a reporter, into how the subjects of their stories think?

This participatory panel discussion will explore these questions and more.

We will hear from longtime Wikipedia editors and journalists, including:

• Andrew Lih (http://www.andrewlih.com/), Associate Professor of Journalism, American University; author, The Wikipedia Revolution

• Dan Cook (https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=5274289), news reporter and editor (BusinessWeek, Knight-Ridder, American Lawyer Media, Newhouse); Associate, Wiki Strategies

• Liberty Madison (http://libertymadison.com/), founder, #ThatTechGirl Digital (https://www.youtube.com/user/ThatTechGirlShow); founder & adviser, various tech startups.

• Pete Forsyth (http://wikistrategies.net/pete-forsyth), Wikipedia editor since 2006; founder, Wiki Strategies

Bring your questions, ideas, and your favorite examples of Wikipedia articles connected to news stories to share.

Following the panel, please stay on for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, provided by our host. Y Combinator-backed Nomiku is the first home sous vide immersion circulator and has brought high-tech manufacturing back to the bay area. Their team is made of fine dining experts, engineers, and a plasma physicist.

Food

• Caviar on potato blini with sous vide egg yolk

• Sous vide beef canape with sous vide sunchoke

• Scott's sous vide coconut shrimp

• Sous vide porcini mushroom gougere

• A vegan option

Cocktails

• Sous gin and tonic

• Sous vide Manhattan spin

• Sous vide melon vodka chili firesta

• Sous vide dark 'n stormy