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• WP:RSN
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Is the Washington Times an acceptable source for statements of face related to student protesters/black lives matter/Milo Yiannopoulos?

The Black Lives Matter entry contains this statement.

• "In late May BLM activists disrupted a speech by Milo Yiannopoulos at DePaul University"

I suggested this instead:

• "A student who was affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement was involved in a protest that shut down a planned speech by "alt-right" commentator Milo Yiannopoulos."

Several sources say that one student, (example1, example 2) Edward Ward, was affiliated with Black Lives Matter, but other organizations were also involved, and most mainstream sources don't mention BLM at all.

User James J. Lamben has cited two sources (the Washington Times, and Reason.com editor Robby Soave) that characterized these as Black Lives Matter protester(s) or characterized this as a BLM protest writ-large. Are the Washington Times or Robby Soave reliable sources for the statement that BLM activists (plural) were involved in the protest?

More generally: This has come up elsewhere, so are right-leaning outlets like the Washington Times, Breitbart, or Daily Caller reliable for factual, un-attributed statements of fact about left-wing protesters that are not covered elsewhere? Or should they be treated as opinion sources? Nblund (talk) 20:35, 21 June 2016 (UTC)

Are you suggesting that only left-wing sources be allowed? The WT is a RS as is Reason, no comment on the others though. Sir Joseph 20:46, 21 June 2016 (UTC)

Breitbart and Daily Caller are not reliable. Washington Times is borderline imho; it aspires to reliability but I have seen things there recently that I don't just disagree with, I am pretty sure they are very wrong. Don't know Reason.com. If it was a BLM demonstration would BLM not have issued a press release surely; where I am going with this is: are there OTHER sources? The fallback position here is that is a notable public event occurs, there will be many sources to chose from. What do the preponderance of the sources say? is there a link for the editorial policy of reason.com? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Elinruby (talk • contribs) 20:57, 21 June 2016‎

"Breitbart and Daily Caller are not reliable. Washington Times is borderline imho;" -- that just it -- your humble opinion. That's not what journalism is about. Quis separabit? 22:54, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

There are additional sources and I'm surprised Nblund didn't mention them. In addition to The Washington Times and Reason, we have:

• "they were visibly frightened of confronting the protesters, who tied themselves to the”Black Lives Matter” movement." Huffington Post
• "They were led by Edward Ward, a student-activist aligned with the Black Lives Matter movement. " The Daily Beast
• "Videos posted online show a protester affiliated with Black Lives Matter entering the conference room blowing a whistle and yelling at Yiannopoulous" CBS

I also don't believe the claim "most mainstream sources don't mention BLM at all" is accurate - it seems about even but I haven't tallied. James J. Lambden (talk) 21:02, 21 June 2016 (UTC)

James, I did cite two of those sources, and they're consistent with the wording I proposed because they say that one student was affiliated. The Huffington Post source was already the focus of an RS post, and was roundly rejected as an RS. Nblund (talk) 21:12, 21 June 2016 (UTC)

This is where I'd say context matters. One arguably weak RS making a claim is one thing; half a dozen is another. James J. Lambden (talk) 21:16, 21 June 2016 (UTC)

As in so many cases, context matters. If we want the opinions of the authors, or facts about certain topics, they might be ok. For talking about Black Lives Matter -- and in particular for establishing WP:WEIGHT to include an event in the BLM article, I would say no. Looking at the sources, I see one Huffington Post article that's not actually from the Huffington Post (it's through the "contributor platform", i.e. not subject to editorial oversight or part of the main blog), two articles in the Chicago Tribune (a reliable source, but the articles make no clear connection between the protesters and BLM except that the protesters uttered that phrase), and the Daily Beast and CBS (both pretty good sources again, but both only say that one of the protesters was affiliated with BLM, not that this event was actually tied to BLM). So some reliable sources, but they don't support inclusion in the BLM article. Maybe the content, reframed, would be better in Yiannopoulos's article, since it looks to be much more about anti-him, and the university's response to him, than pro-anything in particular. — Rhododendrites \\ 21:08, 21 June 2016 (UTC)

Let's be clear that the "one of the protesters" described in RS as affiliated with BLM is also described as leading the protest. So: we have a protest led by an outspoken BLM member, about BLM issues, where the protestors chant "Black Lives Matter" - all of which is well-sourced. We even have sources specifically calling the protestors "Black Lives Matters" protestors. And the contention here seems to be there is no notable connection between this protest and BLM... hmm. James J. Lambden (talk) 21:14, 21 June 2016 (UTC)

put it this way...if he was BLM why would he conspire to hide it? I think you are doing a lot of reading between the lines. Possibly in error. Elinruby (talk) 21:48, 21 June 2016 (UTC)

No one, not even the OP, is questioning Ward's affiliation with BLM. It's too well-sourced. I'm not sure what you're getting at here. James J. Lambden (talk) 22:30, 21 June 2016 (UTC)

• Yeah I am going with James Lambden on this one - "we have a protest led by an outspoken BLM member, about BLM issues, where the protestors chant "Black Lives Matter"" - Unless there is anything that directly contradicts this, I would say yes the WP is enough. Only in death does duty end (talk) 22:49, 21 June 2016 (UTC)

Only in death, not WP, which I assume was short for Washington Post. We're talking about The Washington Times. In response to OP, Reason.com is a blog, so not reliable for something contentious. It's not difficult to argue that the The Washington Times has a poor reputation for accuracy and fact checking. That was just what I found in a cursory search. If there were a noteworthy connection between BLM and threats made to Yiannopoulos, it would show up in more places than blogs, editorials and a questionably reliable news source, so it seems WP:UNDUE, as Rhododendrites said. If this were noteworthy, it shouldn't be so difficult to find solidly reliable sources covering it. —PermStrump(talk) 23:05, 21 June 2016 (UTC)

Doh, my only excuse is its late here. Only in death does duty end (talk) 23:09, 21 June 2016 (UTC)

No worries. :) I wasn't meaning to split hairs, just wasn't sure if that difference might impact your response. —PermStrump(talk) 23:21, 21 June 2016 (UTC)

Well: according to this columnist, they shouted "Black Lives Matter" along with "Feel the Bern" and "Dump Trump". Yiannopoulos is generally offensive (it's kind of his shtick) and it's clear from the context that these are student protesters with broad lefty-type concerns. I'm sure many sympathize with BLM, but that doesn't make this a BLM protest. Ward is affiliated with BLM, but didn't mention BLM in his comments here, the only ones I can find. I actually haven't found any quotes from protesters that mention BLM involvement at all. The DePaulia specifically cites statements from the Feminist Front and the Black Student Union. Neither of those organizers mention BLM involvement or affiliation. I don't know that anyone would bother to directly refute the claim, because it's kind of obscure, but I suspect these outlets are playing up the BLM angle because it's click bait for their readers. At best, it's a misleading generalization from an outlet that has previously published unsubstantiated rumors about BLM. It's certainly not the best source we have on the protests.Nblund (talk) 23:49, 21 June 2016 (UTC)

I haven't seen anyone argue the following is not accurate or adequately sourced:

we have a protest led by an outspoken BLM member, about BLM issues, where the protestors chant "Black Lives Matter"

If you feel any of the above is not adequately sourced, please be specific in identifying it. If not, and instead your argument is that it's accurate but irrelevant, please make that clear so participants can address it directly. James J. Lambden (talk) 00:26, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

The available sourcing appears to best support the "affiliated with" wording; the mainstream reliable sources do not generally call it a "Black Lives Matter" protest, so neither should we. With any loosely-affiliated movement, it's difficult to discern what is and isn't "part of" the movement, but that's why we should stick with what mainstream reliable sources say, and they don't directly call it a BLM protest. It would certainly be proper to note, as the reliable sources have, that one of the protestors states affiliation with the movement. NorthBySouthBaranof (talk) 00:49, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

Your interpretation almost exactly matches my earlier edit on Milo Yiannopoulos - " affiliated with Black Lives Matter". Very reasonable IMHO. James J. Lambden (talk)

Except you made it plural (protesters), and it's clear there were protesters with other organizational affiliations, but that isn't mentioned. Nblund (talk) 12:59, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

• Neither the Daily Caller nor Breitbart is a reliable source, particularly when it comes to contentious material about living people. Both outlets have documented histories of fabricating and/or promoting false, politically motivated smears. These are exactly the sorts of sources that shouldn't be allowed to touch a WP:BLP with a 10-foot pole. The Washington Times is somewhat more of an edge case. It's certainly not a very good source. As the Columbia Journalism Review notes, the Times was for many years "a forum for the racialist hard right, including white nationalists, neo-Confederates, and anti-immigrant scare mongers"—making it a very dubious source for racially-charged material—and it's not at all clear that this legacy is a thing of the past. If the material in question can be found in higher-quality sources, then it makes sense to include it. If these are the only significant sources promoting the BLM angle, then it should be omitted in concordance with WP:BLP. MastCell  00:51, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

@MastCell: these opinions are your POV; don't try to inflict it on others or use it to censor articles. Quis separabit? 00:52, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

Please don't be fatuous. My comments about the Washington Times are obviously not my personal opinion or POV. Your first clue should be the fact that they're enclosed in quotation marks, which means that I'm quoting someone else's opinion. Your second clue should be that the words appear in light blue on your browser, meaning that you can click on them and be taken to the source I'm quoting. In this case, I'm citing the Columbia Journalism Review, among the highest-quality and most reputable sources covering American media. I'm happy to discuss my personal opinion of the Times on my user talk page, but it would be out of place here, and it's not helpful for you to pretend that's what I'm doing. MastCell  18:21, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

I read the Washington Times diligently every day for 15 years, including the decade starting 1992. From that up close, personal, long time research, I can testify the statement above is utter nonsense. There was never any racism in the Times. It is good as any other paper and in many cases better. Getting slammed by another newspaper or group is not clear and cogent evidence of anything but political rivalry among news sources and political groups -- like the Southern Poverty Law Center, which has a rather pervasive agenda of its own. Grammar's Li'l Helper 07:18, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

It's really not helpful to simply post your personal opinion of the Times here (just as it wouldn't be helpful for me to post mine). MastCell  18:32, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

• The cite to Reason isn't usable, not because of any concerns over bias, but because it's an opinion piece / WP:NEWSBLOG (see the blog tagline at the top.) Those generally lack editorial control or factchecking associated with news stories. It could be cited for the opinions of its author, provided they're relevant and pass WP:DUE, but not to characterize what happened in the article voice. The Washington Post source is usable, but it's not the best source for this particular statement; by my reading it's reporting what people have said and the positions they've taken (rather than directly reporting on the protest), so if it's contradicted by other sources that go into more detail on the protest itself, I would go with those. Basically, my reading is that it's saying "these people have commented on the BLM protestors they say were involved in the protest", not "this was a BLM protest specifically." --Aquillion (talk) 10:40, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

From what I can tell it is not directly contradicted. Its a case of weak sources and nothing directly saying otherwise. Only in death does duty end (talk) 10:48, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

The Washington Times probably meets rs but there are two reasons not to use it: 1) stories that only appear in WT lack weight for inclusion and 2) although the facts presented may be accurate, their articles are often misleading. For example, the article does not say that Black Lives Matter was involved in the protest. Certainly the headline mentions BLM, but headlines are not reliable sources and the story does not mention BLM, except where it mentions a retraction in The Daily Caller. So it has no relevance to the BLM article. TFD (talk) 11:42, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

• Not sure why a mountain is being made out of a mole hill. The problem here is that information from sources is being used to make exaggerated claims about BLM activism. This is breaking the guideline on original research. The solution is to just cite what the sources state, without adding anything more to it. Most of the reliable sources indicate that one person was affiliated with the BLM movement, so that is exactly what should be stated. However, the situation here is that there are few sources to begin with about an event that was clearly not very important—therefore, I contend that this should not even be presented in the BLM article. Also, and by the way, the usage of the phrase "black lives matter" does not immediately link a person to the BLM movement anymore than me wearing a red wig makes me an activist for McDonald's.--MarshalN20 14:41, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

• I agree with MarshalN20's assessment. Regardless of the reliability of the sources, which is clearly debatable, the incident itself doesn't carry enough weight to be mentioned in the BLM article. —PermStrump(talk) 17:52, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

Question for James J. Lambden {redacted}: WTF is a "BLM issue"? — MShabazz /_Stalk 17:30, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

A BLM issue is one in which the BLM organization (or movement) has demonstrated public interest. Grammar's Li'l Helper 18:37, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

Then how is interrupting a stand-up comedian a "BLM issue"? — MShabazz /_Stalk 18:50, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

@MShabazz: we usually require more respect between editors. Your comment is out of line. Grammar's Li'l Helper 18:11, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

Sorry, but I have no patience or respect for editors who spout {redacted}. — MShabazz /_Stalk 18:17, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

I think you're being unfair, @MShabazz, in re "Then how is interrupting a stand-up comedian a 'BLM issue'?" -- if the responsible party is a member or claims membership in a BLM-related group, just for example, then a nexus can be made just as a nexus would unavoidably be established between someone who punches an anti-Trump demonstrator and any group to which the puncher (he or she) is a member, say the NRA or some other right-leaning group. The only question is how to respect the fact that the organisation to which an activist or other notable is affiliated -- or claims affiliation or is said to be affiliated -- does not necessarily or officially endorse such conduct, and, of course, the degree to which the incident in question, and all its ancillary points, merit inclusion in a BLP article. And saying another editor is a "white supremacist" with no evidence is destructive vitriol which damages the claimant as much as it does the victim of the unfounded, as far as I can tell, accusation. And from what I can tell, based upon news reports and anecdotally as well, it appears that, overwhelmingly, those who are engaged in attempts (usually successful), doubtless with some help from Democratic Party operatives, to violently censor anyone who says anything they don't happen to like, especially but not only on college campuses, even Ivy League universities, are African Americans. Sorry, wish it weren't so but it is. Quis separabit? 22:54, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

And, since we are on the subject, The Washington Times, National Review, and other right-leaning publications, provided they are imparting information which is independently corroborated, should be and must be given the same deference as left-wing and mainstream media sources. Quis separabit? 22:03, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

Nope, you don't get off that easily. You want to argue in circles: it's a BLM issue because a BLM activist was involved, and Misplaced Pages should report it because it was a BLM activist on a BLM issue. Sorry, but it's condescending and, frankly, {redacted} to say "black people were involved so it's a BLM issue". That's the logical fallacy your so-called sources are making, and you're making it too. Evidence? It's right in front of you if you would only open your eyes. — MShabazz /_Stalk 00:00, 23 June 2016 (UTC)

I don't need to get off "that easily". @MShabazz, your insistence on referring to any negative reference to BLM by someone you think is white as "white supremacist" is inappropriate for Misplaced Pages and deserving of a WP:RFA. If someone disrupts a Trump rally or attacks a Trump supporter, while screaming out "Black Lives Matter" or any other political slogan, or belongs to a political activist group, these facts should not be reported and analyzed?? Seriously?? You ask if "it's a BLM issue because a BLM activist was involved, and Misplaced Pages should report it because it was a BLM activist on a BLM issue" -- yeah, that makes sense to me. It is not synthesis to report two or more connected events. The reader will always draw his/her own conclusion(s). Whites (Caucasians?) who criticize politically correct sacred cows are no more frustrated white supremacists than everyone using Black Twitter are "reverse racists". Assaults on free speech should be a concern to us all. Quis separabit? 17:52, 23 June 2016 (UTC)

Can an uninvolved editor please remove these personal attacks? Contrary to the editor's contention respect for our NPOV and RS policies are not evidence of racism, systemic or otherwise. James J. Lambden (talk) 18:27, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

I'm speaking as someone just reading through this and not really interested in either side: saying someone is "spouting white supremacist bullshit," (in response to asking someone to show respect, for pete's sake!) gets people nowhere fast and is just flinging shit and seeing what sticks. Try not to lost your temper and insult people like that if you want to be taken seriously. Sethyre (talk) 00:39, 23 June 2016 (UTC)

There is a hierarchy in Misplaced Pages and some members are allowed to freely flout the rules. Sir Joseph 17:57, 23 June 2016 (UTC)

@Sir Joseph: who would those be? Are my ears supposed to be burning or am I on the side of the angels here? Quis separabit? 00:52, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

Think I got them all. Arkon (talk) 21:13, 24 June 2016 (UTC)

@Arkon: "Think I got them all" -- clarify, please. Quis separabit? 00:52, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

I think we may be getting off track here. James J. Lamden, to answer your question: the statement that Ward "led" the protests isn't well supported. It appears to only occur in the Soave opinion piece for the Daily Beast. Ward doesn't describe himself as a leader or organizer in any of the comments he gives to the press, and we know that this protest was organized by several different student organizations, so saying it had a single leader seems unlikely. The statement that this protest as about "BLM issues" isn't supported by any source, and Ward himself cites multiple social justice causes as his motivation in this editorial. So a lot of that statement isn't well supported. The statement that the protester chanted "Black Lives Matter" is supported, but they also chanted "Feel the Bern" and the campus Republicans chanted "build the wall". It seems equally plausible to add this event to the Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump entries.

Is it your contention that similar sources on the left, like the DailyKos or ThinkProgress, could be used as the sole sources for characterizing right-wing protests, without in-text attribution? I have a feeling that the Yiannopoulos entry as a whole would look very different if this were the case. Nblund (talk)

Returning to the original question on what sources can be used for assertions of fact—I agree with MastCell and Elinruby in all respects. The Daily Caller and Breibart are certainly not reliable sources. The Washington Times is more borderline. Generally, where there is a better (more reputable, higher-quality, higher-circulation) source available to support the same or similar assertion—as appears to be the case here—we should cite to those better sources (New York Times, Washington Post, Reuters, Associated Press, academic articles, etc.), and not the WT. If the WT is the only source available, I would generally seriously question whether the fact is noteworthy enough to include. There are probably (rare) cases where it's OK. I would not rely on the WT in any case involving a contentious statement, an anonymous source, or a BLP. Neutrality 18:40, 24 June 2016 (UTC)

@Neutrality: This:

Generally, where there is a better (more reputable, higher-quality, higher-circulation) source available to support the same or similar assertion—as appears to be the case here—we should cite to those better sources (New York Times, Washington Post, Reuters, Associated Press, academic articles, etc.), and not the WT. If the WT is the only source available, I would generally seriously question whether the fact is noteworthy enough to include. There are probably (rare) cases where it's OK. I would not rely on the WT in any case involving a contentious statement, an anonymous source, or a BLP.

is your political and partisan opinion. You're welcome to it it but use it on your own blogsite. What about FoxNews or the NY Post or any Murdoch-owned news outlet? Quis separabit? 00:52, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

This conversation is really getting off-topic and I think says more about the particular political preferences of some of the editors involved than about the potential biases in the sources. The actual topic should be whether The Washington Times meets the criteria for a Reliable source. Is it a third-party source or directly involved in the events or ideas described? Does it have a reputation for "fact-checking and accuracy"? To determine whether it meets such criteria, involved editors should provide some sources on the Times and its past handling of specific news items. Their personal opinions are neither reliable, nor easy to verify by other editors.

Also be weary of dated sources. One of the sources criticizing the Times, provided in a link above, is from 2009 and criticizes its affiliation with the controversial Unification Church. The ownership of the newspaper changed in 2010, and while it is probably still affiliated with the Church, its editorial policies may have changed. Dimadick (talk) 06:10, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

@Dimadick, To answer your questions:

1. WT isn't directly "involved" but it has a well known political orientation on this topic, and has previously been criticized by independent sources for lazy or sensationalized coverage of BLM in particular: (ex 1, ex 2)
2. WT does do some serious reporting, and so I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand as always unreliable for anything. In this particular case however, it doesn't appear that they did any meaningful fact-checking. There's no indication that WT sent a reporter to the event, interviewed a single source, or attempted to verify any claim being made or even get comments from the concerned parties. The author of this article also does not appear to have any training as a journalist, and as far as I can tell, this is just repeating claims made by Yiannopoulos himself. This is in stark contrast with the coverage in the Sun Times and the DePaulia student newspaper, which both interviewed organizers, attendees, and protesters.
3. Lastly, as this CJR analysis lays out: protest reporting is hard, even for media outlets without well-known biases. This is exactly the sort of detail that a reporter could get wrong through simple laziness. Even if we accepted that WT was acceptable, it clearly isn't the best available source for this information, we should err in favor of the outlets that gave more in-depth coverage.

Nblund (talk) 16:20, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

The Snopes article cited above (ex 1) that mentions the WT story does NOT criticize the WT for its coverage, and the WT article (at least the part quoted) does NOT include direct assertions about the BLM movement. It is not an example of what is claimed, and it contains not a shadow of discredit on the The Washington Times newspaper. The second article (ex 2) was more ambivalent, trying to verify (or disprove) the very thing that Snopes wrote could not be verified -- that is, were the tweets speaking authoritatively for BLM. But when we look, we see WT makes no statement critical of the BLM movement. Truly, a "news" story on Twitter trash is trash itself, but that is another subject. Since these sources for "well known political orientation on this topic" fall flat, the statement must also fall. Certainly the The Washington Times is not perfect, but there is no evidence that the WT is less perfect than The Washington Post. Grammar's Li'l Helper 21:12, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

I think you may have clicked the wrong link. The Washington Times story is headlined "Marine bronze star recipient assaulted, mugged by Black Lives Matter group", Snopes said that WT was one of several outlets who passed this story along without bothering to verify it. That's not a compliment.

In the second story, WT claimed that BLM protesters at Missouri University tweeted that they were upset at the press coverage of the Paris attacks. Politifact found the tweets were authentic, but weren't able to verify any connection to BLM.

In both cases the Washington Times reported stories that cast BLM activists in a bad light. In both cases, independent fact checkers were unable to verify that the subjects of those stories were attached to BLM in any significant way.This is just in the last year. It seems like WT is particularly prone to call people "BLM activists" without bothering to verify it. Nblund (talk) 23:36, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

@Nblund, I find it hard to believe you're still arguing the references, when they've been exposed so thoroughly to be fallacious. Let's just take the . The whole thing is reads like one long insinuation that there were problems with the story, and that the WT was negligent in it's reporting. But if you want to make the case that a source is not reliable, it helps to have an example where the reporting was actually, you know, not reliable.

So let's hop over to the . It describes the the events from the victim's perspective, using "alleged" in all the right places, and quoting him as descibing the perpetrators harassing him -- asking him whether or not he thought "black lives matter", as a way to provoke him. So, we don't have any proof that they actually did that. Maybe he made it up. I guess the best way to judge that is to see if he is credible, and whether or not the facts that are verifiable check out. Hey, guess what? In every aspect of this story where corroboration is obtained, they confirm the victim's story.

The most potent is the video. The Washington *Post* followed up on the story, and posted the video: please make sure you watch it, . Seems like maybe he was telling the truth. Seems like maybe the WT article was accurate.

So, in what way, exactly, does this indict the WT as unreliable? Klortho (talk) 00:48, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

I think you're confusing "possibly being correct" with being reliable. It's possible that WT was correct in both of these cases, but that doesn't fix their poor fact-checking. You're correct that the Washington Post followed up, that's exactly the point: the Post is considered reliable because they follow up on stories like this. This is the contrast Snopes is drawing. To recap:

• The Washington Post interviewed the victim, sought comments from the police, obtained the video, and talked to the manager of the restaurant. They headline the article: Former Marine, AU student says he was beaten in racially motivated attack
• The Washington Times, by contrast, used quotes from another interview, and then attached a more sensational headline "Marine bronze star recipient assaulted, mugged by Black Lives Matter group".

The RS guidelines highlight the importance of fact-checking. Snopes and Politifact point to instances where the Washington Times didn't adequately fact check a story. Perhaps you think their reporting was perfectly fine here, but the point is that two well-respected non-partisan sources are criticizing their lack of diligence in reporting about BLM related events. Nblund (talk) 02:08, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

If the first source does anything at all, it calls into question the reliability of Snopes. Facts matter. Klortho (talk) 03:52, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

Milo Yiannopoulos Article Discussion

As it relates to the Milo article, Nblund has misrepresented the discussion and conflated it with the BLM discussion. Here's the language for THAT article that was proposed:

"Several news sources indicated some protesters threatened violence, with some reporting on actual physical acts of violence against Milo and another person videotaping the protest. They also included links to a video recording of one protester grabbing a microphone and possibly hitting Milo in the face. During the interruption, some protesters shouted "Black Lives Matter" while security guards stood passively aside at the request of administrators present."

More at issue, Nblund has been suppressing any mention of threats of violence, or actual violence that several sources and published video demonstrates.

Sources:

• Breitbart: "threatened to punch Yiannopoulos in the face" and "One attendee, Matt Forney, was grabbed by activists as he attempted to film the march." and "The male ringleader screamed “Feel the Bern” and chanted against Donald Trump, whilst the female ringleader chanted “Black Lives Matter”."
• Daily Caller: "One video uploaded to Twitter, for instance, shows the cameraman joke about a protester’s weight and subsequently get attacked by a woman who calls him a “fucking racist.”
• Washington Times: "Conservative pundit Milo Yiannopoulos was threatened with violence and hit in the face by a female student during a speaking engagement at the university’s Chicago campus on earlier this week."
• Reason.com "DePaul University Black Lives Matter protesters shut down a Milo Yiannopoulos event on Tuesday night." and "In video footage of the event, a female protester can clearly be seen striking Yiannopoulos in the face."
• Heat Steet: "Conservative provocateur Milo Yiannopolous wants DePaul University to refund his security costs after his event last night was shut down by anti-Trump activists supporting Black Lives Matter and Bernie Sanders." and quoting Milo "“What I’m surprised by is that the security, which I paid a thousand dollars for otherwise they threatened they would cancel the event, refused to remove somebody from the stage who threatened to hit me. It’s so shocking."
• Chicago Tribune: "The activists snatched a microphone and refused to give up the stage as they tried to lead chants of "Dump the Trump!" "Feel the Bern!" "Black Lives Matter!" and other slogans"

Nblund has conflated discussions and confused things. There's no indication that this was a BLM protest, but Black Lives Matter was certainly mentioned. More important, per WP:RS, we don't disqualify something just because it come from a rightist or leftist source. Given this is very relevant to Milo, there's no issue of weight here or Undue when it's part of his Bio. The Reason.com article is possible opinion (and can be highlighted that way with inline text), but the rest most certainly are notMattnad (talk) 16:08, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

As far as I can tell, all of those (except the Washington Times, which consists entirely of quotes and cites to people's opinions) are opinion pieces; they can't be used to source statements of fact. What I would suggest doing is instead writing a sentence or a paragraph on the reaction to the event among conservative commentators, which seems like an important part of the story and appears to be what those sources (including the Washington Times piece) are actually focused on, presenting the descriptions of violence as the way they characterized it rather than as unequivocal fact. Those sources definitely do not support the exact statement you're trying to make (cites from opinion pages and WP:NEWSBLOGs can't be accurately summarized as "several news sources"), but you could use them by mildly changing what you're saying to make it clear that this was a common characterization of the incident among conservative commentators rather than trying to say that it was something reported by "several news sources." --Aquillion (talk) 16:22, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

I asked about a specific edit by James J. Lambden. I didn't bring up the dispute you're citing because in this comment you said that we could use in-text attribution for these claims. My remaining concerns with your proposed edit were related to NPOV and WP:DUE. Since this is the RS noticeboard and not the "Festivus Airing of Grievances board" I didn't think it was appropriate to bring up an NPOV question here. If you do think that these are acceptable sources for statements of fact in this case, then I think the above discussion is probably a good indication that they aren't and I don't think we need to have a third noticeboard discussion to establish what qualifies as an opinion source. Nblund (talk) 18:12, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

Ok. Since we're both fans of Seinfeld (I think), I take it back. I'm not 100% agreeing that all are opinion pieces but if we need in text, fine. As for NPOV, as I've already said, you're free to add counter sources if verifiable.Mattnad (talk) 20:54, 24 June 2016 (UTC)

If there's a situation that doesn't call for a Seinfeld reference, I haven't found it.

None of these are verifiable as statements of fact, but it is verifiable to say that both sides accused the other of threats, inflammatory language, and "assault". ( 1, 2). My own preference is to not delve in to this, because this sort of finger pointing is common after protests of this type and it's probably (on both sides) mostly hot air. There are several critiques of the protesters offered in those opinion pieces, about the nature of free speech and the responsibilities of universities, that are far more interesting and far more useful for readers to hear. If you are going to add that discussion, you should make an attempt to make it conform to NPOV yourself. Saying "I'm free to add counter sources" makes it sound like you'e expecting me to ensure neutrality in your edits. I would much rather work collaboratively. Nblund (talk) 15:48, 25 June 2016 (UTC)

"More at issue, Nblund has been suppressing any mention of threats of violence, or actual violence that several sources and published video demonstrates." -- this is very concerning. This is not like some college campus (almost all) where the First Amendment has been neutered or effectively no longer exists. Dissenting voices must be heard and the mainstream media (although not the Chicago Tribune in this case, apparently) and left wing social media sites that have garnered some measure of undeserved respectability (Salon.com, HuffPo, where snarky, bitchy, snotty comments like "Since this is the RS noticeboard and not the "Festivus Airing of Grievances board" belong), do not and will not report everything that should be reported. That is why Misplaced Pages must impartially record what is happening. If one right-leaning source reports something -- include it. Then if a MSM or left-leaning source disputes that, include the dispute. We cannot have people censoring Misplaced Pages because it is an election year or because they don't like something they read. Quis separabit? 22:14, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

As I said above, though, the WP:RS issue here isn't (primarily) whether they're right-leaning or left-leaning. The issue is that these are all either opinion pieces or consist solely of other people reporting on opinion pieces. The Chicago Tribune is reliable, but as you'll see if you follow the link, this cite is to an opinion piece published there (and the other sources are similar, though often from lower-quality or more fringe publications); we can cite these to say eg. "conservative commentators described the incident as..." and then go on to say much of what you said above, but we can't use these particular citations to eg. say "some protesters threatened violence" as a statement of fact. If we want to say that, unqualified, in article text, we need a news report from a reliable source rather than an opinion piece. If it is unambiguously true that that's what happened, then it should be easy to find news reports that describe it that way. --Aquillion (talk) 02:29, 23 June 2016 (UTC)

If a piece is marked as opinion, that's something to take into account but not an absolute prescription. It just indicates that statements of opinion may exist in the article. Facts might be presented as the background or support to those opinions. Likewise, opinions might be presented in an article that doesn't carry any disclaimer of such. The granularity is at the level of a claim. Rhoark (talk) 16:55, 24 June 2016 (UTC)

I am a bit late to comment on this, but I was wondering whether the "Reason.com" link posted above meets the criteria for reliable sources. Reason.com is not an independent news blog, it is the website of Reason magazine. Reason is a libertarian publication which is fully owned by the think tank Reason Foundation. It might not qualify as a third-party source. Dimadick (talk) 06:33, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

First Monday (journal)

Is First Monday (journal) a legitimate peer-reviewed reliable source? I looked, but could not find any evidence of any article going through any sort of peer review. No published reviews, no names of reviewers -- in fact I can't really find any sources mentioning the First Monday journal other than the First Monday journal itself. --Guy Macon (talk) 02:25, 23 June 2016 (UTC)

Well, it says it is on its site, and also says it's associated with the University of Illinois; unless you're suggesting the whole thing is some sort of elaborate trickery, I think that that's enough for it to be credible. It's also referenced here, in the Library of Congress, which I assume does at least basic fact-checking to ensure that the journals it categorizes actually exist and are peer-reviewed before presenting them as such. Now, obviously not all peer-reviewed journals are equal, and reliability is contextual; if a paper from there is being cited for something extremely bizarre or implausible, it might be worth double-checking with other sources. But overall it seems legitimate to me. --Aquillion (talk) 02:43, 23 June 2016 (UTC)

It was recently used at WP:NPOVN (Section Misplaced Pages:Neutral point of view/Noticeboard#NPOV dispute in "electronic harassment") to support the POV found at Talk:Electronic harassment#open question that covert targeting could be happening?. In particular, http://journals.uic.edu/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2084/1940 claims that "Increasingly there are indications that the uses of wireless technologies have been developed to target an individual’s biological body, with specific focus upon the neuronal functioning of the brain. In this paper I examine how some of these uses have had detrimental effects...", which is pretty clearly fringe and pseudoscience. It strains credulity to believe that that particular paper was peer reviewed without the reviewer bringing up the fact that the view of mainstream science is that the technology does not exist. --Guy Macon (talk) 07:20, 23 June 2016 (UTC)

I mean, it's not unheard of for a fringe-y paper to slip through at a smaller journal. I think the paper has an alarmist abstract and conclusion, but if you read the text it doesn't actually support what they're trying to use it for anyway. The government sections mostly talk about the consequences of indiscriminately blasting people with microwaves at short range (as in an Active Denial System) and about more traditional propaganda efforts, while the rest mostly talks about stuff like emotiv, which is real but hardly qualifies as a usable interface. And the section on pervasive human-wireless interaction mostly focuses on pervasive computing and traditional tracking-your-cellphone-remotely surveillance, which is definitely real... but it doesn't support any of the mind-controlly stuff people are trying to cite it for. At best, it reads to me as taking real existing concerns about how common cellphones are and how they can be used for advertising and surveillance, then combining it with possible talk of people installing (voluntary) brain-computer interfaces and what could be done with them. That might warrant a mention in a sentence about speculative future surveillance concerns, or an article about brain-computer interfaces or pervasive computing specifically, but it definitely doesn't support the stuff about CIA mind control lasers; its concerns seem to be mostly focused on surveillance and propaganda uses of pervasive computing, not harassment. So I'd say that it strikes me as a paper on the fringes of science, and that it doesn't really support what they're trying to cite with it. --Aquillion (talk) 15:58, 23 June 2016 (UTC)

In what I could find, it either is not indexed in some typical journal tracking databases, has zero impact factor in some, or has extremely low (>1) alternative measures of impact factors. If you click the submission tab on their website, it does say it sends out the manuscripts to peer-reviewers, but there have also been cases of journals that say they do this but still publish almost anything. I would consider this journal in general very shaky for meeting sourcing expectations for anything controversial, though I can't outright call it fringe overall. The linked talk discussion does appear to be making these statements in a very WP:CRYSTALBALL fashion though as we generally don't engage in speculation that someone could theoretically do something at some time. That appears to be the larger issue. Kingofaces43 (talk) 16:10, 23 June 2016 (UTC)

I commented earlier but removed my comment because of possible COI (in the sense that the next sentence makes obvious). I will just say that I've reviewed, received review, and know people whose papers were rejected from First Monday. It's a not-top-tier-but-still-pretty-desirable venue to publish for people in Internet studies/new media studies. Take that for what it's worth (which may be nothing :) ). — Rhododendrites \\ 00:45, 24 June 2016 (UTC)

I saw the discussion at WP:NPOVN, read the paper in question, and wholeheartedly agree with Aquillion's conclusions. The paper has no findings, only some rather vague speculations about a potential impact of potential technology. It certainly doesn't support the electronic harassment claims they are trying to cite with it. - LuckyLouie (talk) 17:54, 24 June 2016 (UTC)

Misplaced Pages is not a crystal ball does not directly apply here. It does not prevent us from having articles on future or predicted events. The policy states: "A schedule of future events may be appropriate if it can be verified. As an exception, even highly speculative articles about events that may or may not occur far in the future might be appropriate, where coverage in reliable sources is sufficient. For example, Ultimate fate of the universe is an acceptable topic." and "Of course, we do and should have articles about notable artistic works, essays, or credible research that embody predictions. An article on Weapons of Star Trek is appropriate; an article on "Weapons to be used in World War III" is not."

The main issue here is not the prediction or speculation itself, it is that the source of it may be neither reliable nor notable to begin with. Based on the small number of available sources on it, First Monday (journal) seems to be generally ignored. By the way, I am quite surprised we have an article on it. We have deleted articles with better coverage and evidence of notability. Dimadick (talk) 06:58, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

Although we really shouldn't make decisions this way, it is likely that it has an article because it has published multiple research papers about various aspects of Misplaced Pages, which makes in more notable to Misplaced Pages editors but doesn't really help when it comes to demonstrating general notability. --Guy Macon (talk) 21:41, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

Noway.. First Monday (journal) IS reliable. Co-authored by recognized learned subjects and cited on popular reliable websites. What about these: , , , ? Are you trying to whitewash the impossible as Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible (film)? Jokes apart, I understand it can be cool, and I understand you tend to have conservative mindset which is so fashion nowadays, but all your stuff just doesn't fit you know.

About me being an IP used to evade a sockpuppetry block (which I can't prove I'm not but indeed I'm actually just a close friend of a blocked user.. anyway).. you should consider WP:BLOCK policy which explicitily states that: Anyone is free to revert any edits made in violation of a block, without giving any further reason and without regard to the three-revert rule. This does not mean that edits must be reverted just because they were made by a blocked editor (obviously helpful changes, such as fixing typos or undoing vandalism, can be allowed to stand), but the presumption in ambiguous cases should be to revert.

This is not an ambiguos case, since you have a well recognized reliable journal here. 87.3.91.84 (talk) 16:12, 2 July 2016 (UTC)

Raman Kapur, as terrorism expert

There is a question as to whether Raman Kapur is a reliable source for the article Islamic terrorism. Kapur is a Director and Clinical Psychologist, Queen's University of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Kapur is an expert in all types of terrorism and has published articles in anthologies on terrorism. He is also a regular contributor to the BBC. The particular article in question was published in an anthology called “Global Terrorism: Issues and Developments” published by “Nova Science Publishers” in 2008. His article is Chapter 4: , see page 136. Our edit concerns the abuse of religious texts to justify hatred. . Jason from nyc (talk) 14:23, 23 June 2016 (UTC)

Nova Science Publishers appears to be a somewhat questionable publisher that doesn't subject book chapters to a normal peer review process. However, I don't think this argument is particularly unique to Kapur. There are lots of prominent experts who have discussed the role of hatred and "othering" in justifying terrorist violence, and lots of theologians have disputed the notion that the Koran contains endorsements of modern terrorism. Another source should be easy to track down.

That said: Robert Spencer's credentials are far more dubious. He's an ideologue who runs organizations that have been identified as hate groups by the SPLC. It seems like this would make him a WP:FRINGE figure with regard to Islamic theology. If his views are considered notable, it might be acceptable to cite his opinions about Islam in the entry, but he's not a reliable source for facts or quots about the Koran. This cherry picked quote implies Spencer's argument without making it explicit (see Misplaced Pages:TROJAN horse), and that raises NPOV issues. Nblund (talk) 17:28, 25 June 2016 (UTC)

Thank you for noting that Nova Science Publishers doesn't always publish peer review literature. This is an anthology, not a journal. Kapur is an academic. We are removing Spencer's citation and deferring to an academic who presents a very different analysis. We are moving beyond "quote mining" and presenting an analysis although we could expand the author's analysis. Before I do the work, I thought it would be prudent to get feedback on the author as a reliable source. Jason from nyc (talk) 21:51, 26 June 2016 (UTC)

Let me be more direct: I don't think this chapter is a reliable source, and, even if Kapur is a bona-fide expert in terrorism, he isn't a theologian and isn't really qualified as an expert on the Hadith. The quote itself appears to contain a typographical error in the text (page 136 in google books version)

I have been sent with the shortest expressions bearing the widest meanings, and I have I have been made victorious with terror, and while I was sleeping...

It's unclear why anyone would defer to this particular academic, when his argument is also made by far more reputable scholars. Nblund (talk) 20:38, 27 June 2016 (UTC)

Theologian? We aren't talking about an article on Islamic Theology, of which we have many. We are talking about Islamic terrorism and Kapur is an expert on terrorist psychology. He understands how terrorists think and how they rationalize their atrocities. It is precisely a psychologist that we need. Do you actually think there are theologians who would argue that Islamic texts support terrorism? If so we need theologians; and I'd like to see the "prominent experts" that you can produce who would argue this. Jason from nyc (talk) 23:55, 27 June 2016 (UTC)

A psychologist is not a good source on religious texts or religions. Nor is a theologian a good source on states of mind. With similar logic to the above, we could construct an article on "terrorism and mothers" or "terrorism and alarm clocks". Or even "terrorism and television sets". Tying the two together is highly problematic and requires very solid sources. Grammar's Li'l Helper 00:14, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

You make a good point. This can be seen as an interdisciplinary area. However, we have several sources that show that jihadist terrorist use religious texts for their propaganda. Whether they use it correctly or not requires an religious exegesis. But that they use it to rationalize their atrocities is simply reporting facts and any expert on terrorism can do that. A psychologist can go further and talk about the real motivations. That's what Kapur does. Jason from nyc (talk) 00:34, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

Kapur's actual argument is barely cited in the entry. It looks to me like he was cited as a way to remove the citation to Richard Spencer while preserving his quotation. I'm pretty dubious about his expertise in any field, based on this source, but he's clearly not qualified as a source for selecting an extended block quote from the Hadith and offering an interpretation on whether its being "hijacked". He doesn't even transcribe the quote correctly.

Looking at the article talk page, it appears that two other editors made almost exactly this same point to you regarding Kapur's expertise. That's a pretty good sign that there is something wrong here. You say that "any expert" on terrorism can do this, you should cite one of those experts instead. Nblund (talk) 00:57, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

I will add other experts. You haven't refuted Kapur's expertise on terrorist psychology as he has written books and works for BBC Belfast with decades of commentary on terrorist psychology. You don't like him, I understand, but he is respected as an expert. I do agree that he can't comment on the correct usage of various quotes--only that they are used. I expanded the section to use Holbrook. Now I intend to add Peter Bergen as well, he is not a theologian either but a terrorist expert. Jason from nyc (talk) 01:07, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

While I think a secular, academic source is preferable to professional, biased theologians on how are religious texts used to justify violence, there are two main issues that come to mind after reading the above conversation and the paragraph in question. First, the text of the paragraph seems to involve Synthesis of published material. The source used to support the existence of this specific hadith is the Sahih al-Bukhari (9th century) by author Muhammad al-Bukhari (d. 870). It is a primary source, and someone apparently picked a single hadith out of a collection which contains 2,602 independent hadith traditions and a few thousand repetitions of specific hadiths. Then the paragraph quotes Raman Kapur, who speaks about how Islamic terrorists "hijack" religious teachings to justify their own hatred. His quote may be reliable, but it is unclear whether it relates at all to this specific hadith or whether he is speaking about Islamic religious teachings in general. Frankly ,it seems like two unrelated texts were placed together to justify a Misplaced Pages editor's conclusion.

Second, Nblund seems to have confused the Quran with the hadiths. They are not nearly equivalent texts. Neither source was completed during the lifetime of Muhammad, who died in 632. The Quran is a 7th-century publication. Much of the text of the Quran was compiled based on the recollections of people who had heard Muhammad's oral teachings and memorized them. Among the scholars who were involved in the compilation of the book, the leading position is attributed to one Zayd ibn Thabit who died c. 660. Most sources place the compilation date of the book in the 650s and , with the exception of variations in transcription, the text has apparently received minimal changes ever since. It is the closest thing we have to a first-person account on Muhammad and his teachings.

Hadith stories and collections are later sources which attribute various "words, actions, or habits" to Muhammad. Most were written or compiled 2 or 3 centuries following the death of Muhammad. There are tens of thousands of individual hadiths, often mutually contradictory, compiled in many different collections. There are many theological disputes in Islam about which of these hadiths are accurate, and which are "false hadith" (equivalents to fabricated stories, literary forgeries, and apocrypha). There is even a minority of Muslims, the Quranists, which reject all of them and accept the Quran as the only authoritative source on Muhammad and his teachings. That a hadith exists does not mean that it is widely known, accepted, or even taken seriously.

Some of the theological ideas based on these hadiths are not exactly the stuff of legends, nor have any political significance. Consult the following Internet text which quotes specific hadiths from Al-Tirmidhi on whether it is theologically acceptable for a man to urinate standing up or sitting down, and what was the preferred practice by Muhammad himself. "...the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to a garden belonging to some people, and urinated standing up." Dimadick (talk) 08:46, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

Anglefire website

This webpage from Angle fire is extensively used in Operation Opera. Can it be counted reliable? Mhhossein (talk) 07:36, 24 June 2016 (UTC)

No. An angelfire page is a self-published source, and nothing on that page implies that it's by a recognized expert or anything like that that might fit the exceptions for self-published sources. It can't be used as a cite at all, for any purpose. If something was cited to it and needs a source, your best bet is to try and figure out the sources that the angelfire page uses and see if they're reliable; if they are, use them instead. If not, replace the cite with a fact tag. --Aquillion (talk) 08:53, 24 June 2016 (UTC)

Good luck finding sources. Despite this being a lengthy and detailed text, it does not cite any sources and apparently the authors consulted sources who wished to remain anonymous. The explanation note at the bottom of the article states: "This article could not have been written without the kind help of 'The First of the Last', whom the authors would like to thank for their extensive support and patience, supplied on condition of anonymity. We would also like to thank several other sources who provided help and material, also on condition of anonymity."

Also one of the main claims made in the article is that there was a secret, unofficial alliance and cooperation between Iran and Israel, but many of their own sources apparently disagreed. The article notes state "Interestingly, all the Israeli authorities and unofficial sources we contacted in connection with this article declared that any information about Iranian-Israeli co-operation was 'improbable' or 'inconceivable'. Several either stressed they had never heard of anything to this effect, or that it 'could not have happened' and that Iran and Israel had never worked together - or even helped each other - before, during, or after the war between Iraq and Iran."

According to our article on Iran–Israel relations, the two states "severed all diplomatic and commercial ties" between them back in 1979. They have also been fighting a proxy war since the 1990s, each of them funding operations against the other. That they are allies or former allies seems to be an extraordinary claim. Dimadick (talk) 09:12, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

Input sought: Star Trek: Voyager

• Source: Balder & Dash web article

• Article: Star Trek: Voyager

• Content: The exact use in the article is listed below:

In an article about Voyager, Ian Grey wrote: "It was a rare heavy-hardware science fiction fantasy not built around a strong man, and more audaciously, it didn't seem to trouble itself over how fans would receive this. On Voyager, female authority was assumed and unquestioned; women conveyed sexual power without shame and anger without guilt. Even more so than Buffy, which debuted two years later, it was the most feminist show in American TV history."

• Concerns: My concerns with this is the quote makes the statement:

"Even more so than Buffy, which debuted two years later, it was the most feminist show in American TV history."

It is stating this as though it is fact which I think is misleading. A quick search on google for "the most feminist show in history" and you'll see similar type of statements being made about various shows. This seems to be a opinion and not fact. As far as I know there are no metrics/rankings of shows regards to "how feminist they are". The article also specifically mentions the author "Ian Grey". Ian Grey was not involved with the show at all so a reader reading the article and comes to the portion "Ian Grey wrote" and they'll think "who is this Ian Grey guy? Was he involved with the show?" then click on the reference to find out that he is just a random bloke who wrote his thoughts on the show.Offnfopt 11:56, 25 June 2016 (UTC)

It is not stated as a fact in Misplaced Pages's voice. There is no problem with the reliability of this sourcing. Rhoark (talk) 14:31, 25 June 2016 (UTC)

I agree, it is being stated as the opinion of Grey and is contained in quotes. What I do find questionable is whether this should be in the lead. It is the opinion of 1 writer. The lead is supposed to represent a general summary of what is in the article. DrChrissy 15:22, 25 June 2016 (UTC)

Comment To establish whether some creative works were feminist or not, consulting actual feminist sources would probably be needed. The article note about the author states "Ian Grey is a New York writer whose work on visual arts, music, and identity politics have been published by Press Play, Baltimore City Paper, Lacanian Ink, The Prague Post, The Perfect Sound, Salon, Gothic.net, Smart Money, Time Out New York, and other forums. A novel on trauma, sex work and sound is now being shopped." It does not mention whether Grey is affiliated to any feminist organization. The publisher of this article is "RogerEbert.com", a website devoted to "movie criticism, commentary and community", not to feminism. I could not find who currently owns the website, but it states that it was established in a partnership between the companies "Ebert Digital" and "Table XI". Ebert Digital was apparently operated by Roger Ebert (d. 2013), Chaz Ebert (Roger's wife), and Josh Golden (who?).

Like most sources written by film critics, Grey's article does contain some level of hyperbole and POV statements. It argues that:

• the Star Trek franchise has betrayed its progressive roots ("all the qualities that made Star Trek special—the deep, silly, starry-eyed, predictable, always-inclusive things that sparked a half-century, trans-global love affair? Gone."
• that the latest Star Trek films have an ideological agenda of androcentrism and machismo ("a white man-centered Starfleet command. Random T&A." ... "As we mourn Abrams’ macho Trek obliteration")
• that the 1990s American television shows in general portrayed women in more positive ways than their successors over the last two decades ("If you look at most of many of the high watermarks of the last two decades -- shows such as The Sopranos, The Shield, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, Justified and Sons of Anarchy -- they're all mainly concerned with alpha males struggling to hold onto their privilege during changing times. That's only a "universal" story if you agree that straight white males really are the universe." ... "In the meantime, the self-determined female leads of Voyager -- and Buffy, and a handful of other unusual genre series -- have been supplanted by strong female characters that aren't really as strong as they seem. As former Salon TV critic Heather Havrilesky noted in her New York Times piece, “TV’s New Wave of Women: Smart, Strong, Borderline Insane”, even our richest female leads come with a soupçon of instability. "I don’t mean complicated, difficult, thorny or complex," she writes. "I mean that these women are portrayed as volcanoes that could blow at any minute. Worse, the very abilities and skills that make them singular and interesting come coupled with some hideous psychic deficiency." " "

I am not American and I am personally unfamiliar with most of these shows (they get broadcast in my country only by minor channels with subscription fees), but claims for the existence of a recent widespread turn towards male supremacy and anti-feminism should probably be taken with a grain of salt. Dimadick (talk) 09:59, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

References

1. Grey, Ian (11 June 2013). 2 "Now, "Voyager": in praise of the Trekkiest "Trek" of all". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 2016-06-25. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)

Cambridge Scholars

Hey, I was wondering if anyone had heard of Cambridge Scholars. I remember it being brought up in a prior AfD where the general thought was that it might be considered a reliable source since it was considered a "minor independent, low quality but not vanity press publisher" (per Piotrus at this AfD).

A look around the Internet isn't very promising. This forum has people reporting that the publisher doesn't seem to do any actual editing and that some of their products appear to be quite poorly put together. This Reddit thread says that they're not a vanity publisher, but they're also not really all that reputable either - they seem to rank them just above vanity publishing overall. They also seem to get some of their clients by approaching people right out of school.

It looks like they're not usable (my gut instinct), but I'd like some sort of consensus on this for the future. The impression I get is that they're not a vanity or scam publisher, but they're not that far off from one either. They appear to put most or all of the editing and formatting work on the author (from what I've read in some forums) and a reputable publisher would at least do the formatting work. I've repeatedly seen people claim that they were told to take their work elsewhere to get edited and there are whispers that if you don't take it to one of "their" editorial partners then they'll ask you for more editing, although that last part is only hinted at here and there. Tokyogirl79 (｡◕‿◕｡) 04:19, 26 June 2016 (UTC)

Yeah, I don't think it's a vanity press, but it looks very questionable. Their name sets off alarm bells: so close to that more reputable Cambridge press, know? I think the big kicker is that their website says that they "will work with you" to develop a peer review strategy. That gives me no assurance that anything they publish went through any level of peer review at all. Nblund (talk) 16:44, 26 June 2016 (UTC)

Based on the quote Nblund found, it sounds like the opposite of independent peer-review. It isn't indexed by my library at work (which is a university library) and it isn't listed by Ulrich's Periodical Directory. Not sure if they publish periodicals or just books, but I figured I'd check Ulrich's FWIW. So they have a couple of strikes against them as far as reliability: not being catalogued by university libraries, sketchy description of peer-review process, and possibly negative reputation (per reddit and message boards). And there really aren't any obvious factors in their favor, as far as I can tell, right? So I'd say until they have more of a reputation, it's a questionable source and definitely shouldn't be used for anything contentious at least, and I'd think twice about due weight before using it any case. —PermStrump(talk) 19:00, 26 June 2016 (UTC)

I can't imagine why we would use them, unless perhaps in the BLP of one of their authors. I see no evidence that they are a reliable publisher. And if they're the only source for something, then due weight comes in. Doug Weller talk 20:24, 26 June 2016 (UTC)

• Thanks guys! Tokyogirl79 (｡◕‿◕｡) 03:45, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

• I am not sure who owns this company, but their website contains an essay on Vanity publishing which makes some defensive claims. It is called Vanity Publishing: Dispelling the Myths by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Some passages from the text include:
  • "The term ‘Vanity Publishing’ is inherently ambiguous, for, despite the efforts of publishing industry watchdogs, it is used haphazardly and confused with self-publishing or other types of author-subsidised publishing. The term is further obscured by the alternative terms that Vanity Publishers themselves use: “joint-venture”, “shared responsibility” or “subsidy” publishing."
    • "I am keen to get my academic work published as a research monograph; will Vanity Publishing affect my career prospects?": "There is a stigma attached to fee-based publishing, which has eroded over recent times due to the upsurge in self-publishing options, though it still exists. The ‘rank’ of an academic publisher is sometimes viewed as tantamount to advancing your career, and young scholars often fix their sights on major University presses. Talk to others who have published in the same field as you. It is useful to get a range of views, although you may find that opinions vary depending on experiences and expectations. It is likely that some senior academics may steer you towards a University press. Take into account that the decision-making processes within a University press are often longer than commercial publishers, which is important if you have a tight timeframe."
    • "If you do decide to publish with a Vanity Publisher, it is important to check the quality of production and dust-jacket design, as these can be distinctly poor. Ask for examples of other books produced by the press or check on their website to review their back catalogue. Questions to ask yourself are: Does the formatting look professional? Are all the pages in order? Is the cover art attractive? Are the books sturdy?"
    • "A Vanity Press is unlikely to offer much in the way of book distribution, marketing or publicity support. It is good practice to ensure that the publisher distributes through at least one reputable wholesaler, such as Ingram. This will ensure that your books are available online, and, even if they are not available in certain bookstores, people will be able to special order them."
    • "Many individuals enter into vanity arrangements because they cannot find a conventional publisher, but still feel that their academic research will be of value to others. If this is the case, seek feedback from those publishers who have rejected your proposal, and, if you have the money to spend, then consider self-publishing before vanity publishing."
  • "What about Editorial assistance: what can I expect from Conventional vs Vanity Publishers?" "Vanity Publishers are not selective about the quality of work they publish. You can expect no proof-reading, copy editing, or typesetting assistance. Reputable Conventional Publishers (both University and independent commercial publishers) will provide a variety of Editorial services throughout the publishing process. The terms and responsibilities afforded to these Editors can vary between publishing houses. At Cambridge Scholars Publishing, for example, you can expect to come into contact with:"
    • "Acquisition or Commissioning Editors: in charge of finding new academic potential, and potentially organising peer review channels;"
    • "Series Editors: typically more senior academics who oversee the publication of a Series on a specific theme;"
    • "Managing Editors: who deal with the practical details of publishing a book;"
    • "Copy Editors: often known as ‘proof reading’, and ‘mechanical copy editing’, who will review samples of a manuscript in preparation for publication;"
    • "Typesetters: who will take your manuscript text and illustrative material, setting it out on the page ready for printing, in line with industry guidelines (such as the Chicago Manual of Style)."
  • "Cambridge Scholars Publishers have an extensive network of peer reviewers with global reach, some of whom are on the Cambridge Scholars Publishing Editorial Advisory Board."
    • What I get from this. Note the distinction made here between self-publishing and vanity publishing, which is not always clear in other sources. The focus on the production values of the books and whether they are "sturdy", instead of reviewing their contents or reliability. That among all the editors involved in the production of books from this publishing house, only a few deal with peer review and they may "potentially" organize peer-review channels, but they do not seem to be required to do so. And their claim to "an extensive network of peer reviewers", who are not really identified in the text. The essay sounds like saying "We are not a vanity publisher, trust us", but why do I get a feeling this may not be the most reliable claim? Dimadick (talk) 15:22, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

• I think that part of it might be the phrasing. Note that they say that you "can expect to come into contact with". In other words, it's phrased loosely enough to where it doesn't explicitly say that these people are employed by CSP or that these are all people that the author will meet. This plays into the claims that CSP will pick up and author and then set them off into the wild to find their own editors and typesetters (which they pay for out of their own pocket), and that CSP themselves do little to no editorial work themselves. (And will even somewhat penalize you if you do not use their recommended companies by sending you out for more editing work.) While I'm not extremely intimately familiar with the publishing process, I've always been led to believe that most publishers will have their own in-house editorial and typesetting staff (either directly employed or commissioned) that perform the work - the authors do not have to go out and seek them on their own. Any costs for this service are covered in their contract. Now self-published and vanity publishers don't offer this because to do that would cost too much money and their game is to get as many people publishing as possible. CSP seems to care a little more than the average vanity publisher, but offhand not by much given some of the stuff I've seen around the Internet here and there. Tokyogirl79 (｡◕‿◕｡) 05:53, 1 July 2016 (UTC)
• In other words, they aren't immediately up front about the fact that authors are expected to shoulder the cost burden of editing and typesetting, something that happens with vanity publishing all the time. Tokyogirl79 (｡◕‿◕｡) 06:13, 1 July 2016 (UTC)

Chick tract

Is this YouTube video a reliable source for this statement, "Interestingly the 1992 version] did not have this Bible or creation in public schools reference at all and the claims regarding the various states of man (which did not have Lucy but is otherwise identical to the 2002 version) were credited to The Collapse of Evolution by Scott Huse which was being published by Chick publications at that time."? I gave my own opinion at Talk:Chick tract#YouTube as a source, but another editor and I disagree and I've already been unreverted once and don't want to get into an edit war. —PermStrump(talk) 21:28, 26 June 2016 (UTC)

We have had different views regarding youtube as a reliable source. In Misplaced Pages:Reliable_sources/Noticeboard/Archive_3#Youtube_video and I am quoting here "YouTube is undoubtedly a reliable source, say, for recorded interviews and seminars (that aren't potentially copyright infringement). For example, Google sponsored a series of talks by notable people and posted them all on YouTube. Assuming there's no synthesis problem, we could certainly cite these as a primary source. Care should be taken when handling primary sources; we have to insure that secondary sources exist to demonstrate weight and avoid original synthesis" Comparison and contrast video such as what I am citing are in a gray area.

I would prefer to use the actual 1992 comic but I can't find online anywhere. Besides this is the only reference that shows a page by page the difference between the two versions. More Than Darwin: An Encyclopedia of the People and Places of the Evolution-creationism Controversy of 2008 (by Greenwood who is now part of ABC-CLIO) stated " Some of Chick's other publications (e.g., The Collapse of Evolution)..." but it does't state that was once in the Big Daddy tract.--BruceGrubb (talk) 21:41, 26 June 2016 (UTC)

There's no blanket answer about YouTube. That quote (from a nearly decade-old thread) is clearly about " recorded interviews and seminars ... assuming there's no synthesis problem ... cite as a primary source". In other words, if there's a clip of a lecture by Michel Foucault in which he explains the concept dispositif, and it's clearly him giving the lecture rather than some YouTuber's transcription, then there's no reason not to use it as a primary source (the venue/publication/site matters, but it's only one aspect of WP:RS). Here however, I don't see any reason to think the uploader is known as an expert with a reputation for accuracy. YouTube in this way might as well be Flickr or any other user-generated content site. That said, it's possible a scan of a tract on Flickr/YouTube could be used as a source. We don't know the uploader or where he got it, so we don't have an authority on which to base its authenticity, but it wouldn't be crazy to use it in rare cases. The bigger problems, however, are WP:WEIGHT/WP:SYNTH. Why would we include it? What difference does it make if there was a version 16 years ago that didn't have a particular quote? We rely on what reliable sources consider interesting, not what we observe to be the case. TL;DR - YouTube itself is not a reliable source; some of the videos it contains can be reliable sources; this video is not reliable for anything except maybe as just a scan; if it's just a scan we need some other reason to make mention of it. — Rhododendrites \\ 22:55, 26 June 2016 (UTC)

Regarding the "What difference does it make if there was a version 16 years ago that didn't have a particular quote?" question in this case it makes a major difference.

You see when the tract was originally written in 1972 the "It has never been against the law to teach the Bible or creation in public schools." claim was not in the track and even then it would have been a borderline given Abington School District v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203 (1963) when it was ruled that in the United States school-sponsored Bible reading was unconstitutional (ie "against the law"). Come Edwards v. Aguillard, 482 U.S. 578 (1987) where it was ruled that Creationism was specifically intended to advance a particular religion and therefore violated the establishment clause (ie i"against the law") and the claim would have been in serious trouble. But the track didn't get that reference until 2002 when it was against the law to "teach" the Bible or creation in public schools (see the Spinney, Jacob (November 2004). "A Close Look at Dr. Hovind's List of Young-Earth Arguments and Other Claims". Skeptic Report. Retrieved July 18, 2011. reference for a clarification of this statement).

More importantly the current version of this says:

"IInterestingly the 1992 version not only didn't this Bible or creation in public schools reference at all and the claims regarding the various states of man (which did not have Lucy but is otherwise identical to the 2002 version except for the note) had "for more details see The Collapse of Evolution by Scott Huse available from Chick Publications" rather then the "for more details watch part 2 of the Creation Series video by Kent Hovind" note at the bottom.

Look at the video at the 0:56 and 1:14 marks. Are the above points true? Yes. And as you stated "it's possible a scan of a tract on Flickr/YouTube could be used as a source" and I have stated I would prefer to use a printed version of the tract but that could be viewed even more WP:SYNTH then the video as such a scan likely wouldn't have the one on one comparison of the video and we would need the video to verify that the earlier version track existed in that form in 1992 and make the comparisons.--BruceGrubb (talk) 11:22, 27 June 2016 (UTC)

You're only restating what you added to the article with more detail, not making a case for why it's important to include. Yes, it's different, and more wrong. How does an unsourced claim of "it was less wrong before" help anyone's understanding of the subject, is what I don't get. More importantly for this board, however, we don't have a reliable source pointing out the differences as significance to establish WP:WEIGHT (the YouTube video is not, I don't think, a reliable source for analysis of the tracts -- just, if anything, but the images of the tract itself -- so original research comes into play to introduce differences into the article).

Taking a closer look, honestly that whole paragraph looks like WP:SYNTH. The sources it cites don't even mention the tract it's talking about. They're about Hovind's arguments elsewhere. So those sources would belong at Hovind's article, or perhaps an article about creationism/anti-evolution more generally rather than this article, which has a section about a specific tract.

I'm a fan of explaining the ways tracts like this distort reality, but based on this we could list every single one of Chick's tracts that makes any pseudoscientific claim and cite various sources that have nothing to do with the tract to debunk. — Rhododendrites \\ 13:54, 27 June 2016 (UTC)

"The sources it cites don't even mention the tract it's talking about." SAY WHAT? The video is using images from the Big Daddy track itself. Also the "Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters" reference already in the article specifically mentions "More importantly these eight examples are used to discredit the entire human fossil record.." (my emphasis) the video does indeed show eight examples in 1992 version but the 2002 version shows nine. So are you saying that the Columbia University Press can't count or that they validate there were at least two different versions of the track?--BruceGrubb (talk) 19:07, 27 June 2016 (UTC)

BruceGrubb, can you please explain like I'm 5? I'm trying so hard to follow what you're saying, but I'm lost. Assuming we could prove the YouTube video is actually showing comic strips from Big Daddy (which I'm not sure how we'd be able to verify), how do we know that it's the whole thing or that the missing information wasn't omitted from the YouTube video by accident, due to time constraints or other reasons? I don't understand why the fact that it was missing from the 1992 version is noteworthy or relevant anyway and the Columbia University Press source doesn't support the statement I started this thread about. —PermStrump(talk) 22:49, 27 June 2016 (UTC)

To clarify, the sources I was talking about that "don't even mention the tract" were the secondary sources in that paragraph. I intended "Taking a closer look..." to be a segue from the sentence you added to the rest of that paragraph. Indeed, the video we've been talking about is about the tract -- in fact, as above, it would really only be used as the tract, but again, that's not what I was referring to. Sorry to confuse. — Rhododendrites \\ 04:20, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

After doing some research on what turns out to be a surprisingly fascinating phenomena, it appears that The Jack Chick Museum of Fine Art is the gold standard for sourcing Chick Tract variations. People send in old tracts and the site neutrally reports the differences between versions. You are proposing that we accept as a source a Youtube video from a self-described maker of "skeptical bible videos from an ex-pentecostal". Now I agree that the video likely consists of him simply showing his two copies with a music track, but if Misplaced Pages allows such sources then it will be an easy way to corrupt the encyclopedia -- just put up a legit-looking but subtly edited version of something then use it as a source. --Guy Macon (talk) 07:46, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

The Jack Chick Museum of Fine Art site is useful for old versions of the tracks...up to a point. The variations page you referenced above is just above useless:

"Big Daddy: Info on evolution has changed (evolved?) in several versions. Four different versions exist, plus the original version which says on page twenty, "Then He was an invader from outer space?" (Later versions replaced the question with, "Are you saying He is the Creator?") Also, the Spanish version has the student's hair black... until page 16 and the last panel when it goes white (from fear?) The current Chinese version still has the older hair styles from earlier variations."

Thankfully Big Daddy is one of those tracts that got a more in depth review then the one on the tracts page. The existing link to Terrible Tommy's review is broken but can be resolved via internet archive. And it give far more detail:

""Big Daddy" is one of Jack Chick's oldest tracts. Unlike many other old JTC tracts, "BD" has staying power. Why? Because it evolves! There have been four, count 'em, FOUR, incarnations of "Big Daddy," each leap forward occurring about 5-10 years after real advances in real science turn the older versions into tribble feces.

A number of "Anti-evolution facts" that were preached in the original BD have been discarded in favor of more modern twists. One such fact was the absolutely hilarious contention that scientists had produced a barrel of oil from ten pounds of garbage in less than an hour, thus proving that it did NOT take millennia to form oil deposits. As usual, the students in the background called out: "In less than an hour?" "Wow, we didn't evolve!" And also, as usual, there were absolutely no scientific references to any such experiment.

Another purely idiotic "proof" was the spotted moth in England. This was in the original BD. Basically, what happened was simple: In England, after the aerial pollutions from the Industrial Revolution had caused the trees to darken in color, a species of spotted moths were forced to turn dark themselves to avoid the birds that preyed on them. Chick has his Jew Prof declaring that this darkening "proves evolution.""

So an tract on the evils of evolution itself evolves. It would be funny if not so ironic.--BruceGrubb (talk) 22:00, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

See Misplaced Pages:Administrators' noticeboard/Incidents#BruceGrubb topic ban. --Guy Macon (talk) 22:04, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

PWInsider

I can't believe I'm having to ask this, but seeing as there seems to be a mass delusion in the professional wrestling WikiProject about our core policies: is this article from PWInsider a reliable source? I'm edging to "absolutely fucking not", given that the information in the source can't be verified against the apparent original source. Sceptre 11:34, 27 June 2016 (UTC)

The question should be can the people who want to use PWInsider reasonably demonstrate that it is reliable? As WP:BURDEN expressly states "The burden to demonstrate verifiability lies with the editor who adds or restores material, and is satisfied by providing a citation to a reliable source that directly supports the contribution" Also remember that WP:RS also applies especially the Questionable and self-published sources part. There is also the issue of WP:WEIGHT; it this reference to one year change to the WWE PPV really that important?--BruceGrubb (talk) 13:36, 27 June 2016 (UTC)

It seems to me that it is a reasonably reliable source. The staff claim to be experienced reporters and other sources cite it .- MrX 13:50, 27 June 2016 (UTC)

On the other hand, there seems to be little editorial oversight and distinction between reporting of fact (for example, results of a certain show) and backstage rumours (for example, when a certain wrestler is going to debut on TV). In the case of the article in question, PWI cite Eric Ganzerli, a self-employed blogger who is not affiliated to either the WWE or its broadcast partners, for giving the supposedly "confirmed" information. I don't think reliable sources would do this sort of shoddy reporting. Sceptre 15:20, 27 June 2016 (UTC)

Based on Sceptre's above comment I would have to say that this reference (if not the entire site) fails reliable.--BruceGrubb (talk) 19:19, 27 June 2016 (UTC)

Here's a more important question, if we deem PWInsider to not be a reliable source website, do we then go around to every single wrestling/wrestler-related WP page that uses them as a source and remove each and every one of those references? Because either they ARE a reliable source or they are NOT a reliable source. There shouldn't be a middle ground where we have to decipher that "some" articles they post are reliable while others aren't. Frankly, I'm surprised this is even a discussion because PWInsider has been used as reliable source for over a decade on WP and I've never heard anyone ever question their reliability until Sceptre started questioning them a few days ago. OldSkool01 (talk) 22:19, 27 June 2016 (UTC)

Furthermore, the writers on that site have been working in the wrestling business for over 20 years. Dave Scherer ran ECWWrestling.com (the official website of ECW back in the day) where they did live coverage of the ECW ppvs while they were on the air. He was also offered a job from WWE back in 1999 to be the editor of WWE Raw Magazine. Mike Johnson also is one of the top reporters in the business. Pretty much every other "newz" site copies and pastes their stories from PWInsider. OldSkool01 (talk) 22:24, 27 June 2016 (UTC)

And there's this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Professional_wrestling/Sources As you can see, PWInsider has been included on that list for many many years. OldSkool01 (talk) 22:31, 27 June 2016 (UTC)

If consensus is that it's not a reliable source for this instance, that doesn't necessarily mean it's never a reliable source. WP:CONTEXTMATTERS. It might be fine for uncontentious material (depending on the context). It might not be appropriate to use when the material is contradicted by other sources or questioned by other editors. —PermStrump(talk) 01:17, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

Sceptre: Can you link to edit in question or paste the material that was attributed to this source that you're questioning? I'm not seeing that PWInsider has a published editorial policy, so it's hard to imagine many situations where it would be the best source. If it's used to support material that isn't mentioned in better sources, it would likely be undue weight and if the material is mentioned in better sources, it would probably make more sense to cite the better sources. It still depends on the context though. I guess it might ok to use in a BLP of one of its writers to illustrate the personal views of that writer, if it were properly attributed. If it's super notable within the genre, it might be ok to use with proper attribution as long as editors were super careful not to give it undue weight or use WP's voice. It's hard to say without knowing more about the context. —PermStrump(talk) 01:30, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

The specific source in question on PWInsider(here: http://www.pwinsider.com/article/102934/the-brand-extension-means-new-ppvs-for-wwe-full-revised-schedule-of-events-through-2016.html?p=1) is not contradicted by anybody. In fact another reliable source(Wrestling Observer) also independently confirmed the same story(here: http://www.f4wonline.com/daily-updates/daily-update-wwe-split-brand-ppvs-roh-ppv-aries-joe-and-nakamura-debut-215206). Sceptre's hangup on the whole thing seems to be that the person that PWInsider credits the story to is not reliable, ignoring the fact that Dave Meltzer, whom Sceptre has agreed is reliable, had already broke this story in the Observer Newsletter several days before PWInsider made their post. The way I see it is we have 2 verifiable sources reporting the same story. And both sites are listed on the above link(I'll post it again: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Professional_wrestling/Sources) showing all wrestling sites that are considered verifiable. OldSkool01 (talk) 02:23, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

Thanks, OldSkool01, but I meant, which article are we talking about? Or is this just a general question about the source? —PermStrump(talk) 03:15, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

• The article where this discussion first came about is List of WWE pay-per-view events, which Sceptre has now had fully protected from editing. OldSkool01 (talk) 03:21, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

I should point out at this point in 2009, the professional wrestling sites were still working on the assumption that the late October PPV was going to be an iteration of Cyber Sunday (when it ended up being the first Bragging Rights) and the late December PPV was an iteration of Armageddon (when it ended up being the first TLC). Ultimately, the schedule of WWE events and storylines are subject to change at any point, and this is an industry that is still incredibly insular. I don't see anything in the sources provided that would satisfy the WP:CRYSTAL policy – especially regarding arenas, which aren't even in the PWI source – and if any wrestling site apart from the promoter itself is asserting certainties about future events, I would be personally very wary. Misplaced Pages is an encyclopaedia, not a dirtsheet, and it is better to take it slow and get it right. Sceptre 12:39, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

• Something that's being overlooked in all of this is that the new ppv schedule in question, that was reported by the Observer and PWInsider, has already begun to be proven legit. When the Observer first reported this new lineup, WWE.com and Ticketmaster.com were listing "Night Of Champions" on their respective websites. Then several days after this lineup was reported, both of those sites changed "Night Of Champions" to "Clash Of Champions", which is the new name that was reported by the Observer and PWInsider. So that right there shows that this article in question is already beginning to prove it's legit. The article in question also does not list any arenas, just cities, so that's not an issue. As for PPV names being changed in the past, in 2009 Cyber Sunday and Armageddon were reported as being the original names of those events because they were. That is until WWE decided to change them. But as of the moment they were reported, it was a fact. If you're saying we shouldn't list future events because WWE is constantly changing their minds then we should never list any future shows at all. Look at WrestleMania VII for example. For a whole year straight that show was advertised as taking place at the LA Memorial Coliseum and then a couple of weeks of before the show WWE decided to move it to the LA Sports Arena. My point is anything can change at any time. That doesn't mean what is known right now shouldn't be listed on WP. If and when a change occurs(event name, arena change, city change, main event change, etc.) then we change it on WP accordingly. OldSkool01 (talk) 17:57, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

• It being right on the name of the September PPV doesn't mean it's all correct. We already knew that WWE had filed for the trademark before this story came out, so the idea that Night of Champions was getting a rename was already a possibility. In any case, your comment doesn't do you any favours. Our policy on future event articles says that we should only have such articles if the event is notable and almost certain to take place. The events are currently not notable, and not certain to take place. I believe WrestleMania VII is a poor comparison, as they were already selling tickets for months before moving it (allegedly because they weren't selling enough). Misplaced Pages does not do speculation, it does facts. Sceptre 18:12, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

• But this isn't speculation. Meltzer didn't say this MAY be the upcoming lineup, he said this IS the upcoming lineup. His exact quote: "...there has been talk of doing individual Raw and Smackdown Pay Per Views/WWE Network Special Events similar to what they did during the last time they split brands. Until now, that was purely speculation. The PPV schedule that has been going around is legit." Meaning he confirmed it with WWE. When he's not sure of dates he says it's only the tentative plans. My point about Mania 7 was to show that WWE changes their minds all the time. Whether the show is months away, weeks away or days away. As far as having articles that are "notable and almost certain to take place", all of these articles are indeed notable with 2 verified sources confirming them. And a key word there is "almost" certain to take place. You seem to want to take it one step further and eliminate the word "almost" and just have sources confirming that they will indeed certainly take place. OldSkool01 (talk) 20:46, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

It's still, primarily, speculation, though. If we took as statement of fact every item of speculation about an industry, we would have been saying the iPhone was getting rid of the headphone jack for the past four years. Sceptre 14:09, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

• But this isn't an item of speculation. These PPVs are "almost certain to take place". And 2 verified sources confirmed them as being "almost" certain to take place. OldSkool01 (talk) 19:39, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

• The threshold for "Almost certain" is "Ticketmaster start selling tickets for the events", not "a self-employed blogger emails a mythical corporate document to a newsletter". I have the greatest respect for Dave Meltzer, but I know, and he knows, that this plan can be subject to change at any time up to them starting to sell for the event. Sceptre 20:23, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

• At what point did Meltzer say he got the news from some blogger? He never mentioned that. Also, where is this "threshold" written as gospel? There have been times in the past, even after tickets for shows go on sale, that WWE has cancelled shows, for a number of reasons. So even tickets being on sale does not make the event "certain to happen". Events are always subject to change. Right up until the moment the event takes place. That does not mean we shouldn't create pages for events, just because there's a chance that things can change. OldSkool01 (talk) 01:47, 1 July 2016 (UTC)

The Good Web Guide

Hey guys, I was wondering if The Good Web Guide would be usable as a RS. What works mildly in their favor is that their about page shows that they're a little discerning. There are also a few reviews of their print books here and there. (, ) This book has a bio of one of their authors, which looks pretty impressive - although I will note that this is only one of their authors. (The same author is mentioned in this review on JSTOR.) If they all have criteria like this it'd be a good sign. Their authors also seem to be quoted here and there, but not heavily. They're also listed as a source in some books.

However what works against them is that there really isn't a lot of coverage about them since they launched in 2001. They're mentioned here and there, but it seems to always be by people who won the award. The Daily Mail covered them, but that's not really the greatest site to use. They seem to be reliable overall, but I just don't know if they're Misplaced Pages reliable. Tokyogirl79 (｡◕‿◕｡) 03:58, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

I think it would be on the lower end of the reliability spectrum, perhaps usable for basic indisputable facts. They have an entry fee, which raises some questions about objectivity. I would treat their reviews as opinion and mostly only use them with attribution.- MrX 11:12, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

• Yikes. That makes them fairly suspect in my book. It looks like it's for the awards and many awards do have entry fees, however it makes me wonder if there's a fee for inclusion in their database/reviews. Tokyogirl79 (｡◕‿◕｡) 03:54, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

London Jazz News

I'm currently participating in an AfD where they're trying to use this book review as a RS to show notability. Part of the issue with this AfD is that the book in question was used at one point to back up major changes to an article for a living person, Seasick Steve. Essentially the book claims that everything SS has told people is a lie manufactured to market himself more efficiently, thus claiming that the article itself is largely incorrect. (There was a bit of an edit war as well.) If this source is usable then it could potentially help argue for the book's inclusion in Misplaced Pages somewhere.

My question is whether or not LJN is usable as a RS. It's hosted on Blogger, which is never a particularly good sign for sourcing but I'm aware that there are some exceptions to the blog rule. The site offers advertising, but they specifically state that reviews are not part of the package. The site and their Twitter account claim that they've won the Jazz Media Award, and the Parliamentary Jazz Awards, however I'm not entirely aware if these are major enough to make the site a RS/authority. They do seem to get name dropped, which works in their favor (, , , ) and I do see where they've been cited as a source in some books.

Offhand it looks like they might be usable, but given the situation I really want to make sure that they are. Offhand the author only looks to be notable for this one book and if this source is reliable then it'd give weight to the idea of including this somewhere in the performer's article. (Where and how it'd be mentioned is something to think about, possibly a subsection in the article?)

However I'm also concerned that the claims in the book are fairly contentious and that at present we only have five sources (including the blog) showing any sort of coverage for the book - the majority of which are sources written in the same 1-2 day period, many of which essentially say the same thing. Would this all be strong enough to justify a mention in the article? I know that's somewhat more of a BLP issue, but it also somewhat falls within the sphere of this noticeboard. Basically, would these five sources be considered heavy enough to warrant inclusion, given that the claims can easily be seen as very contentious. Tokyogirl79 (｡◕‿◕｡) 04:07, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

• It looks like the version I wrote at the author's article is currently in the performer's article at Seasick_Steve#2016_Biography (not added by me), so this can give a good example of how it might be included. Tokyogirl79 (｡◕‿◕｡) 04:10, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

Ballotpedia again

Is this source reliable enough to be used for the Statewide opinion polling for the United States presidential election, 2016 article? - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 14:32, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

Given that Ballotpedia is specifically noted as a poll source in the tables, my answer would be yes. Meatsgains (talk) 23:55, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

Okay thanks! =) - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 00:51, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

I did get a reply on the article's talk-page though so would like to leave this open for more input. - Knowledgekid87 (talk) 01:05, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

I will take the discussion to the article's talk page as well. Meatsgains (talk) 01:32, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

Is Peter Reynosa a reliable source for Edward Tryon's BLP

A Huffington Post blog by someone named Peter Reynosa is a major source for this BLP, eg his birthdate, his academic position and some of his work history.

This is also for these two sentences "When his paper came out in 1ate 1973, it was not attacked by other physicists or publicly rejected by the scientific community. It was just ignored. "Science just unnoticeably ignored him in a silent quietness of Indifference." And there were several legitimate reasons why there were scientists who were very skeptical of his paper. Many thought it too speculative, lacking a good mathematical foundation, and also wrong in stating that if this kind of universe existed it would be made of equal parts matter and antimatter. "

It's also used for "And the theory seemed to solve the horizon problem, the flatness problem, and the monopole problem that had plagued the Big Bang" (this is something about Alan Guth and the source may also be a reference for the preceding statements - the article is pretty badly written, eg 31 sentences begin with "And"). It may be relevant that most of the content was added by JanetTom55 (talk · contribs) who today added excerpts from poems by this author to 6 articles. I can't find much about the author, there's his short bio at the HuffPost and he's written some articles about us, eg . Doug Weller talk 20:59, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

First - it is a blog about a scientific topic written by a person who asserts precisely zero training in cosmology or any other sciences. Second - the writer is specifically not notable in the first place even as a writer. Tryon might well be a genius, but Reynosa is not a valid source for such a claim or set of claims. Collect (talk) 21:08, 29 June 2016 (UTC)

Agreed: the stuff about his impact on physics, in particular, should definitely go. You don't need a PhD to figure out someone's birth-date, but assessing someone's impact on a discipline takes a lot of deep knowledge about a field.

FWIW: He's not listed at all in the current faculty directory for Hunter College's Physics and Astronomy dept, but he is listed as a faculty member (not emeritus) in this 2006 graduate catalog. Other than that, I don't see much on him. It looks like he's a popular figure among creationists, for some reason.

My views aside: seems like JanetTom55 is, uh, a big fan of this Reynosa fellow, and might have a bit of a conflict of interest. Nblund (talk) 01:21, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

It's published on their blog platform, so it falls under WP:NEWSBLOG; and a newsblog by an "artist and writer" with no scientific background is definitely not usable as a source for facts in a biography of a scientist. Worse, this article seems to fall under WP:BLP, which means that the last clause in WP:SPS would forbid us from that piece as a source even if it were by an established expert in the field. That newsblog does contain a reference to nine pages about him written in Creation: The Story of the Origin and Evolution of the Universe, which is presumably the source for most of the facts and figures in the blog and could probably be used in its stead. --Aquillion (talk) 04:13, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

Is Jezebel.com (online news magazine) an RS?

Hi, folks.

There is a discussion about whether Jezebel should be treated as a blog or an RS (and, therefore, whether it can be quoted on a BLP). Although it calls itself a blog, Jezebel articles come from a staff of professional writers (unlike an SPS) and has an editorial board (supplying the fact-checking):

jezebel.com/about

The sentence in question is:

"He has been called the "foremost living expert on paraphilias."" (diff here)

In the interests of disclosure, the BLP in question is about me (James Cantor, not User:James Cantor). So, I am not participating in the discussion, other than to notify folks of this post.

— James Cantor (talk) 13:05, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

1. Schwyzer, Hugo (August 10, 2012). "The real reason for the upsurge in hidden camera perverts". Jezebel. Retrieved December 2, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

• My opinion is: I don't know that that website or author has the authority to make that assessment. If it is allowable at all, it should be attributed I think: "Hugo Schwyzer, writing in Jezebel, has called him the 'foremost living expert on paraphilias'." Such a statement should not be in the lede of the article however (in my opinion), it should be in the body text. The lede could how ever state "He is an expert on paraphilias", and could source it to the same article (although if it's mentioned and sourced in the body text, do not need to repeat the citation in the lede). And Jezebel is not a blog, so it can be used as a source, just not as a unilaterally infallible source. if that makes sense. Softlavender (talk) 13:27, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

• Jezebel is reliable for the opinions of its authors, but I would not use it to source anything more serious, and certainly not to source contentious BLP claims. They've had times when they got the reporting very wrong, relying on other sources and jumping to conclusions that later proved wrong. They also have a bad habit of mixing actual reporting with opinion and editorial content, plus sensationalizing things that aren't actually important. If nobody but Jezebel is covering it, it probably shouldn't be in Misplaced Pages. If other sources do cover it, then use those better sources. The Wordsmith 14:34, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

Like Breitbart, they only report the stories (and the aspects of stories) that further their editorial agenda. Their facts are less suspect than their framing and conclusions. Rhoark (talk) 15:02, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

• As I remarked on the article talk page, quoting Sagan, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.". This is not merely a claim that the subject specializes in paraphilias or even just that he's an expert. It is a claim that he is the foremost living expert. That is an extraordinary claim. I have two concerns with the cited source for this claim.

First, I don't know what to believe anymore about whether this is a blog or not but I know for sure it's not the New York Times. Some here claim it's not and point to their masthead but our article about the site says it is a blog and that's also what they seem to say it is with their "About Blog" link at the bottom of their main page which takes you to their masthead. As for whether it's reliable, perhaps we might ask Hulk Hogan.

Second, I think we need to distinguish whether this appears to be straight news reporting of widely held views or an opinion piece. I think this is clearly an opinion piece, evidenced by the language (c.f., " we've been bombarded with evidence that, contrary to what your college psych profs may have told you, women do love to look every bit as much as men."), meaning we should ask, is the individual qualified to offer an authoritative opinion? Not long ago we decided Timothy Leary could not be called a philosopher because even though we had several book sources calling him that, what we didn't have was other philosophers calling him a philosopher. I think the same reasoning might apply here. Our article about the author, Hugo Schwyzer, reports that he has a PhD in medieval history, appears to have had an extraordinary number of personal problems, and is currently employed as a tax accounting assistant. I'm just not persuaded that this is a reliable source for the claim. Msnicki (talk) 16:38, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

I think the definition of the term "blog" has changed a little bit in the last few years. Blog used to refer pretty much exclusively to self-published websites, but now it's more of a set of stylistic conventions. Jezebel.com, although it's a blog-style page, really isn't self-published. Its a news organizations with an editorial board and employees. It's also worth noting that, although they are a Gawker media affiliate, they aren't Gawker, and don't necessarily have the same baggage. They also have a well-known editorial bias, but I don't think that bias would really have any relevance to this particular claim, and there are several other sources that describe him as an expert in paraphilias and a leading expert on pedophilia, so this isn't a major stretch.

All that said: I tend to agree that they're not a great source for a claim of like this. I would second Softlavender's suggestion that the statement should be given more detailed in-text attribution, and should probably be moved from the lead. Alternatively, the source could be replaced all together: The Washington Post describes him as: "a former editor of the journal Sexual Abuse and an expert on paraphilias". I think that would be a preferable source, and it's a more detailed description of his credentials. Nblund (talk) 19:54, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

I agree. The Washington Post is a great source for the revised claim you've suggested. I would support that edit. Msnicki (talk) 20:02, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

Agree with using The Washington Post instead of Jezebel.com. FreeKnowledgeCreator (talk) 03:14, 1 July 2016 (UTC)

I've continued to search but that WP source you found is the best I could find as well. Good work. Lots of great sources to support claims of being an expert on pedophilia (e.g., Alice Dreger calling him "an international expert on pedophilia" in the Atlantic,), but it's harder to find them on paraphilia. Msnicki (talk) 15:48, 1 July 2016 (UTC)

• Jezebel is part of Gawker media - like other Gawker products it is a low-quality source suitable for only basic information. As a blog the opinions of its writers are largely non-notable (except where they themselves cause controversy) and even when attributed, are of dubious use. I am especially not persuaded that Hugo Schwyzer is suitable to judge who is an expert on anything. Given his notability appears to be from his extensive personal life rather than journalistic credentials. Only in death does duty end (talk) 16:08, 1 July 2016 (UTC)

First - the article at issue is not a reliable source for claims of fact. It is not written as an article which anyone would suppose is usable for claims of fact. (Articles on that website with titles such as "10 Reasons Why Ryan Lochte Is America's Sexiest Douchebag" should make this sufficiently clear) Second - opinions may be used if cited and sourced as opinion, and the consensus agrees that the person holding the opinion is competent to have their opinion noted. The author dos not hold any degree indicating education in the field of sexuality. I suggest that the article at issue is not a valid reliable source for use in a WP:BLP. Note: the issue of "blog" does not even need to arise in this discussion, it is an opinion column written by a person not known in the relevant field for his opinions. Collect (talk) 20:45, 1 July 2016 (UTC)

eBooks as RS

Apologies if this has been asked before but I have checked every page I can think of and I can't find anything. What is the stance on eBooks as reliable sources? I'm not talking about self-published material. I'm talking about electronic versions of works that are professionally published that may or may not be available in traditional printed form. If they are considered reliable, how are they properly cited? They generally don't have page numbers, rather they have "location" numbers on the devices I have used and I don't know if those "locs" are consistent across devices or formats. Thanks. Mars Felix (talk) 20:34, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

The medium of publication isn't particularly important. If it's a reliable source in print, it's a reliable source as an ebook.

Regarding citation formats: You're right that location numbers are generally not especially helpful. WP:PAGENUM suggests using a chapter and/or section title if page numbers are unavailable.

FWIW: 3rd Generation and beyond Kindle's can give you "real" page numbers. If a print edition of a book exists, you might be able to search for the passage in question on Google Books. Usually, even if the relevant section of the book isn't publicly available, you can search for an exact quotation and it will give you a page number. Nblund (talk) 20:55, 30 June 2016 (UTC)

That makes sense. A source that is reliable in paperback form doesn't suddenly become unreliable simply due to it being in a digital format.--192.252.136.159 (talk) 00:16, 1 July 2016 (UTC)

worldofstadiums.com

A specific editor has been adding links to www.worldofstadiums.com to support facts about stadiums. I don't think it meets the criteria for RS as it does not list who the editors are, whether there is any oversight of the information. If it's found that this site is not a reliable source I would like to suggest that it be placed on a blacklist, such as the spam blacklist, so that it cannot be added, and a bot be commissioned to remove all existing links to the site. At the very least, could someone please indicate how I could find the links so I can remove them manually? Walter Görlitz (talk) 16:26, 2 July 2016 (UTC)

Doesn't look reliable to me, to me it looks like a fansite made by a few people using WordPress. The images are also taken from Misplaced Pages, albeit with correct attribution, e.g. , , , which suggests their information is probably just things they've found on the Internet. No evidence of how these database stats are calculated, as is needed to be a reliable source like Soccerway or CricketArchive for example. Joseph2302 (talk) 13:33, 3 July 2016 (UTC)

Armenian source, not neutral.

Is this a reliable source? http://www.genocide-museum.am/eng/cultural_genocide.php From the[REDACTED] page; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/Armenian_cultural_heritage_in_Turkey

It claims to speak in the name of "Unecso" and that many churches in Turkey were destroyed. However on the official Unesco it's never shown to be such kind of statement or claim.

The source states that it was a 1974 UNESCO report. Find that. Walter Görlitz (talk) 01:58, 3 July 2016 (UTC)

I haven't been able to find the original 1974 UNESCO data, but I did find the same claim made in multiple sources. The most prominent would be this 2007 book by Robert Bevan, published by the University of Chicago Press. Here's the relevant passage:

A 1974 survey identified 913 remaining churches and monastic sites in Turkey in various conditions. At half of these sites the buildings had vanished utterly. Of the remainder, 252 were ruined. Just 197 survived in anything like a usable state.

It's possible that this specific figure is apocryphal, and it would be ideal to have the original UNESCO data, but it doesn't seem like an exceptional claim, so I think this is probably verifiable. Nblund (talk) 18:21, 4 July 2016 (UTC)

Eidetic memory article

Opinions are needed on the following matter: Talk:Eidetic memory#WP:RfC: Should the article be strict in stating that photographic memory and eidetic memory are not the same thing?. A WP:Permalink is here. One issue is a Slate source vs. what some reliable book sources state. And the other is what to relay based on what all these sources say. Flyer22 Reborn (talk) 19:33, 4 July 2016 (UTC)

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