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Is Wikipedia a neutral encyclopedia — or a reputational weapon hiding in plain sight? In this explosive Heretics conversation, journalist and author Ashley Rindsberg joins Andrew Gold to argue that a small cadre of activist editors can blacklist conservative publications, tilt biographies, and launder bias as “consensus.” Rindsberg explains how policies about “reliable sources,” talk-page pile-ons, and administrator power can quietly redefine truth — then get amplified by Google search and AI training data that treat Wikipedia as gospel.

Inside the interview, Ashley breaks down the playbook he says drives censorship-by-process: selective citation rules, source deprecation, templated warnings that scare off newcomers, and rapid-fire reverts that make contested facts look “settled.” He shows how a few persistent editors and noticeboard regulars can shape which outlets count, which don’t, and which stories disappear. The result, he argues, is an information chokepoint where politically inconvenient reporting is downgraded, and attempts to correct the record are framed as vandalism.

👉 How are “reliable sources” lists made — and who really decides?

👉 Why do talk pages and noticeboards matter more than the article itself?

👉 What does “no original research” mean in practice — and how can it be weaponised?

👉 How do paid editing and PR laundering hide in the open?

👉 Three quick checks any reader can use to spot manipulation in minutes.

With Andrew’s calm, forensic questioning, Rindsberg walks through receipts: edit patterns, sourcing swaps, and the incentives of a billion-dollar ecosystem around Wikipedia — from PR firms to reputation managers. He warns that once bias enters the encyclopedia, it propagates everywhere: search rankings, knowledge panels, classroom handouts, and now the large language models that will shape civic life. Whether you trust Wikipedia or view it as captured, this conversation gives you a toolkit to verify before you believe.

If you care about media fairness, free speech, and information integrity, don’t miss this one. Watch, share, and tell us your experiences with Wikipedia editing and sourcing.

Editorial note: The discussion presents Ashley Rindsberg’s analysis and opinions for public-interest debate.

Watch the full podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFrfxjb_Iw0&t=1949s

#AshleyRindsberg #Wikipedia #Heretics #AndrewGold #MediaBias #ConservativeMedia #ReliableSources #Censorship #InformationWarfare #SearchBias #AITrainingData #FreeSpeech

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