May 29, 2008
Experts are Ruining Both Wikipedia *and* Journalism
Wired's Thomas Goetz argues that when it comes to science articles, Wikipedia is plagued by a "tragedy of the uncommon" -- jargon-riffic entries written by experts interested in demonstrating their mastery of the subject matter, not conveying what the layperson needs to know about eukaryotes.
I'm not sure I agree with Goetz when it comes to Wikipedia, but I think something along those lines is happening at The New York Times Magazine. Every other byline lately seems to be that of a PhD in the topic at hand, or at least a lawyer who has authored a book or two on the topic. In my mind, it's the role of the general-interest journalist to serve as the representative of the reader, translating facts, themes, and ideas so that they resonate with an audience of non-experts. Some ignorance on the part of the writer can, I think, actually be a good thing.
experts, journalism, The New York Times Magazine, Wikipedia
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