Wanky Balls festival: Wikipedia-reading journalists welcome
August 10th, 2010Posted by Laura Oliver in Online Journalism
According to the Independent on Saturday’s print edition:
The Big Chill was founded in 1994 as the Wanky Balls festival in north London.
Always good to be reminded of the perils of lifting from Wikipedia – unfortunately the page has since been updated, but the Google search snippet sheds some light:
August 10th, 2010 at 11:45 pm
In defence of subs:
10 sub-editor’s excuses for Wanky Balls
http://subsstandards.wordpress.com/2010/08/10/10-reasons-wanky-balls-cockup-may-not-be-lazy-journalism/
August 11th, 2010 at 11:56 am
[...] yesterday’s post on the perils of wikipedia as source material, Fiona Cullinan takes a look at sub-editing errors from a sub’s perspective and takes issue [...]
August 11th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
An irony that will probably be lost on the sites that are covering this story is that some are listing me as the author of the story and therefore the one at fault. Anyone who did a simple bit of research would be able to find that I’m the photographer that took the image and my caption had no reference to Balls, however Wanky, when I filed the shot.
“UNITED KINGDOM, Ledbury : An audience member listens to the Malian Tuareg group, “Tinariwen” performing on the main stage at the Big Chill festival near Ledbury in Herefordshire on August 6, 2010. Running from the August 5-8, 2010 the festival features some of the more popular bands and musicians from the underground music scene as well more established acts such as Lily Allen and Massive Attack. AFP PHOTO/Leon Neal”
Here’s to another fine example of fact-checking!
August 11th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Hi Leon, I saw your note on BitterWallets and took it up with the person on Twitter who said you/AFP were responsible.
I saw so many retweets by people who didn’t check the facts.
The original admits he got it wrong and has deleted his tweet but too late for all those retweets.
Glasshouses and stone-throwers.
August 11th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
Cheers Fiona. The truth will out!
September 22nd, 2010 at 12:39 pm
[...] are right to be wary of Wikipedia (as anyone who’s ever heard of the Wanky Balls music festival can testify), but a quick glance at Ben Arfa’s Wikipedia entry would at least have given [...]
December 23rd, 2010 at 2:44 pm
[...] 7. Wanky Balls festival: Wikipedia-reading journalists welcome [...]