You want to get your message out there. You can’t do it by setting up angry websites, sending out press releases, and glueing yourself to public buildings. Do it by infiltrating the information stream. Learn how to make use of Wikipedia.

Wikipedia is the last bastion of reliable information left now the internet has been swamped by corporate messages and AI-generated garbage. People still trust it, it’s the go-to for Google search results, and AI scrapes it for answers. And anyone can edit it! Sounds perfect, right? Just paste your press releases into the Wikipedia article, making sure to call the multinationals “bloodsucking fascists”. Well, it’s not so simple.

Anyone can edit Wikipedia, but there are rules. It’s worthwhile learning the rules, because while Wikipedia is not the place for political argument or advocacy it needs facts, especially about fast-moving controversies. Media coverage gives you the citations you need for those facts, and if you’re savvy you can get your message covered by what Wikipedia considers “reliable sources”. You can learn how to avoid conflict-of-interest editing, how to be transparent, and how to use the neutral tone that will stop your edits from being reverted. You can also get images of your protest actions and banners into Wikipedia articles—if you understand how copyright works, and how to legally release those images under an open licence.

Knowing how the information ecosystem functions is essential for any political activist. Knowing how Wikipedia works, and how to add it to your workflow, should be essential for anyone doing social media and press releases for an advocacy group—whether you’re two protestors in a basement or a national organisation with a dozen paid staff. But nobody seems to know this stuff, which is why you need this workshop.

Mike Dickison (User:Giantflightlessbirds) is 2025 Aotearoa Wikipedian at Large, and has worked for years on articles about Aotearoa’s threatened species. He is based in Ōtautahi Christchurch and runs workshops and training for beginner Wikipedians.