PR industry strives to build stronger Wikipedia relationships


A guest blog post by Danny Whatmough, Chairman of the PRCA Digital Group and Account Director at EML Wildfire

Today sees the launch of guidelines that aim to give PR professionals best practice advice to inform their activities on Wikipedia (click here for the release and guidelines).

The guidelines have widespread support from across the PR Industry. Organisations including the PRCA and CIPR have had meetings with members of Wikimedia - the community that helps manage Wikipedia. The PRCA's Digital Group has been involved with the CIPR-led initiative to create this draft set of guidelines and will continue to work closely with the further rounds of revisions to ensure the guidelines are workable and concise.

So why has this come about and why is it necessary?

"PR people shouldn’t touch Wikipedia." This is a common viewpoint amongst Wikipedians. And, considering the negative press that has often surrounded PRs dealing with the encyclopaedia, and the bad practices that are all far too common, it’s easy to see why.

Time and time again, PRs and PR agencies have become unstuck.

As Philip Sheldrake, Founding Partner at Meanwhile and a chief advocate of this work states; Wikipedia is essentially a community and, as with any community, you have to abide by its rules. That might mean you don’t end up with the decision you initially were after, but that is just the way it goes.

Wikipedian David Gerard points out that Wikipedia is not owned by anyone and all Wikipedians are striving for is a neutral point of view. If you don’t have a neutral point of view (e.g. PR), you shouldn’t edit. You should go to the talk pages and participate there. If that doesn’t work, then there are escalation procedures in place that can be used.

So what should PRs do? Well, the guidelines (albeit quite long at this stage, making them more concise will be a task for stage two) are a good place to start.

Get involved in the consultation

Even though the first version of the guidelines has been published, the consultation process on the Wiki will continue. I’d encourage anyone in the PR industry to get involved, share your viewpoint, and think about how this might affect your own dealings with Wikipedia.

Danny Whatmough, Account Director

T +44 208 408 8000
M +44 7811 911885
@dannywhatmough

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