Skip to main content

Support WBUR

The dangers of trusting Wikipedia's facts

09:35
The "Wikipedia" logo is seen on a tablet screen. (Lionel Bonaventure/AFP via Getty Images)
The "Wikipedia" logo is seen on a tablet screen. (Lionel Bonaventure/AFP via Getty Images)

Find the original audio here

A Harper's Magazine article used a partially fictionalized tale to demonstrate the ways in which Wikipedia can be and has been manipulated in small and large ways that can create facts without any basis.

The author of the piece is the magazine's poetry editor Ben Lerner. He joins host Scott Tong for more on the dangers of Wikipedia, but also how it can be and has been a force for good.

This segment aired on December 2, 2024.

Support WBUR

Support WBUR

Listen Live