FDD's Foreign Podicy Wikipedia Wars
Jan 24, 2026
Ashley Rindsberg, investigative journalist and founder of NPOV who probes media influence and platform manipulation. He explores how Wikipedia can be captured by coordinated networks. They discuss Iran's internet blackout and narrative control. They examine editing barriers, paid versus volunteer editors, big donors' influence, and risks of biased content seeding AI.
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Wikipedia Shapes Perception Of Iran
- Wikipedia is aiding Iran's regime by whitewashing human rights abuses and expunging pro-democracy sources.
- Ashley Rindsberg documents coordinated regime-aligned editing shaping global perception of Iran.
How A Book Sparked Media Investigation
- Ashley Rindsberg traced his media-investigative career to uncovering a New York Times wartime error in The Grey Lady Winked.
- That investigation led him into broader media criticism and platform scrutiny.
Influence Networks Leverage Platforms' Reach
- NPOV investigates coordinated influence networks across major digital platforms.
- Changing Wikipedia entries can cascade into Google and AI, altering both history and present reality.
