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Sunday, 3 April 2011

Subtle language used on Wikipedia

Whilst researching my earlier piece about the Yes campaign's dropping of a black figure from leaflets sent to non-metropolitan areas I did a little light Wikipedia reading on Benjamin Zephaniah, whose poetry I do remember albeit not fondly and Tony Robinson who has done little of worth since Blackadder. In doing so I found this entry in Tony Robinson's entry:
'In March 2011, Robinson participated in the 'March for the Alternative' protests in Central London, which opposed the then Tory-led UK Government's spending cuts programme.'
'then Tory-led UK Government'? Somehow I think that entry may last have been edited by someone on the left of British politics. I have corrected the entry so it now reads:
'In March 2011, Robinson participated in the 'March for the Alternative' protests in Central London, which opposed the Conservative led Coalition UK Government's spending cuts programme'

For as I said in my Wikipedia edit:
'/* Politics and personal life */ replaced 'then Tory-led UK Government' with 'Conservative led Coalition UK Government' as government is current & so should not be reported in past tense, lead party in government is Conservative not Tory party'
Language is important and the Tory/Conservative difference is well known and explicable as is the use of the word 'then' to slant the entry.

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