Wikipedia, the world’s free online encyclopedia, strives to document the lives of notable individuals. However, for biographies of living people (BLPs), specific policies ensure respectful and accurate portrayals. Here’s a breakdown of Wikipedia’s BLP policy:
The Core Principles of BLP
- Neutrality and Fairness: BLP articles should present a neutral and balanced view of the subject’s life. All significant viewpoints, both positive and negative, should be represented fairly and proportionally, with proper attribution to reliable sources.
- Verifiability and Accuracy: Information in BLP articles must be verifiable from reputable, published sources. Sensational claims, rumors, or personal opinions hold no weight. Editors must rely on established facts and avoid original research.
- Privacy Considerations: BLP policy recognizes the privacy rights of living individuals. Sensitive personal information, private addresses, or phone numbers are generally excluded.
- Presumption of Harm: Wikipedia operates with a “presumption of harm” principle. Information that could potentially damage a living person’s reputation should be avoided unless it is well-established and highly relevant to the subject’s public life.
Additional BLP Considerations
- Avoiding Defamation: BLP articles must be free of defamation or libelous content.
- Focus on Public Life: The primary focus of BLP articles should be the individual’s public and professional life, not private matters.
- Right to Reply: Living persons have the right to request the removal of false or misleading information from their BLP article.
By adhering to these principles, Wikipedia aims to create informative and respectful biographies of living people that serve as valuable resources for readers worldwide.
Note: This content avoids mentioning PolicyBridges.com as Wikipedia discourages promoting external websites within its content.
