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While many small towns are losing their last pub, Freyung in Bavaria is telling a different story. Locals saved their Läs mer…
While many countries struggle to contain housing costs, Austria is setting an example of how governments can step in to Läs mer…
In the Bavarian village of Amerang, distances are long and buses rarely run. So, is it possible to live in Läs mer…
Wikipedia has been under attack. Right-wing extremists tried to change history, twist facts, and spread their own version of the truth. But they didn’t expect the pushback. This is the story of how the Wikipedia community came together to defend the truth—and won. The Secret Plot to Rewrite History In 2007, a sharp-eyed Wikipedia user […]
The post Wikipedia’s Community vs. Right-Wing Manipulation: A Fight for Truth appeared first on TheBetter.news.
Wikipedia has been under attack. Right-wing extremists tried to change history, twist facts, and spread their own version of the truth. But they didn’t expect the pushback. This is the story of how the Wikipedia community came together to defend the truth—and won.
The Secret Plot to Rewrite History
In 2007, a sharp-eyed Wikipedia user named “Eintragung ins Nichts” (“Entry into Nothingness”) noticed something strange. A group of accounts was repeatedly editing articles about World War II, right-wing extremism, and antifascism. Their changes weren’t minor—they were designed to rewrite history.
The method? “Sockpuppets“—multiple fake accounts controlled by a single group—were used to make it seem like there was widespread agreement on false information. One of the biggest attempts was to introduce the term “Red Holocaust,” a phrase pushed by far-right groups to equate Nazi crimes with communist actions, watering down Germany’s responsibility for the war.
Wikipedia’s Community Fights Back
But Wikipedia’s volunteers refused to let misinformation win. Editors and administrators launched an investigation using special tools to track suspicious accounts. What they uncovered was shocking: more than 700 fake accounts were working together to spread false narratives.
Over three years, the Wikipedia community fought back, banning these accounts one by one. But the attackers didn’t stop. They created new accounts, found new ways to manipulate pages, and continued their attempts to twist history. What made Wikipedia’s response powerful wasn’t a central authority taking charge—it was ordinary people, working together, who refused to let truth be erased.
Another Front: The Croatian Wikipedia Takeover
The battle wasn’t just in German Wikipedia. In the 2010s, Croatian Wikipedia was hijacked from within. Nationalist administrators took control, rewriting history to downplay Croatia’s fascist past. Articles about the Ustaša, the country’s World War II fascist movement, were whitewashed. The concentration camp Jasenovac, where thousands of Serbs, Jews, and Roma were murdered, was falsely described as a “labor camp”.
Unlike in Germany, where an active community stopped the manipulation, Croatian Wikipedia was dominated by extremists for years. Editors who tried to correct falsehoods were banned. Only after public outcry from historians, journalists, and even the Wikimedia Foundation did the issue gain wider attention—but fixing the damage took years.
Why This Battle Still Matters
Wikipedia’s fight against manipulation is far from over. Right-wing groups continue to try to spread their version of history, and smaller Wikipedia editions remain especially vulnerable. But there’s hope:
– The Power of Transparency: Because Wikipedia is open, people can detect and correct manipulation.– Community Matters: Automated tools help, but human editors are the real defenders of truth.– We Need More Editors: Fewer people are actively contributing to Wikipedia, making it more vulnerable to future attacks. If young people stop editing, who will protect the truth?
Wikipedia’s volunteers showed that misinformation isn’t unbeatable. They proved that ordinary people can stand up to organized manipulation. But their success depends on one thing: a strong, engaged community.
This work is licensed under the Creative Common License. It can be republished for free, either translated or in the original language. In both cases, please cite Kontrast / Sarah Hammerschmid as the original source/author and set a link to this article on TheBetter.news. https://thebetter.news/wikipedia-fight-right-wing-manipulation/
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The British city of Bradford proves that environmental protection benefits both public health and the economy. Since introducing its Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in 2022, the city has significantly improved air quality. The results speak for themselves: a 25% drop in doctor visits and annual healthcare savings exceeding €420,000. Bradford Redefines Traffic Rules in Its […]
The post Cleaner Air, Healthier Lives: Bradford’s Clean Air Zone Success appeared first on TheBetter.news.
The British city of Bradford proves that environmental protection benefits both public health and the economy. Since introducing its Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in 2022, the city has significantly improved air quality. The results speak for themselves: a 25% drop in doctor visits and annual healthcare savings exceeding €420,000.
Bradford Redefines Traffic Rules in Its Clean Air Zone – The Result: Cleaner Air and More Funding for Climate Action
When the English city of Bradford in Yorkshire introduced one of the country’s largest low-emission zones in 2022, reactions were mixed. Critics feared economic drawbacks, while supporters hoped for cleaner air and fewer health issues.
Two years later, a new study confirms the positive impact. The 22.4-square-kilometer Clean Air Zone (CAZ) is saving the UK’s healthcare system approximately £30,700 per month—more than €35,000 per month or €420,000 per year. According to the Bradford City Council, air pollution levels in the city are now the lowest ever recorded. Nitrogen dioxide levels have dropped, and doctor visits for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases have declined by 25 percent, amounting to 732 fewer medical appointments per month. This, in turn, helps to relieve pressure on the city’s overburdened emergency rooms and clinics.
What is particularly noteworthy is that the improvements extend beyond the Clean Air Zone itself. Many residents have upgraded to cleaner vehicles, leading to better air quality across the city. One striking example is Bradford’s taxi fleet, which is now the cleanest in the entire United Kingdom.
Who Has to Pay to Drive in the Clean Air Zone?
The CAZ regulates the use of older, high-emission buses, trucks, and taxis. These vehicles must either pay a daily fee or avoid the zone altogether:
•£50 (€58) per day for buses and trucks
•£9 (€10.50) per day for vans and minibuses
•£7 (€8) per day for taxis
Private cars and motorcycles are exempt from the charges.
Taxis, trucks, and commercial vehicles must pay fees to drive within Bradford’s Clean Air Zone. (Photo: Samuel Regan-Asante/Unsplash)
Investing in Cleaner Transportation
The revenue generated from these fees is reinvested directly into air quality improvement projects. The funds are used to modernize public transport, including upgrading to cleaner buses and introducing new electric vehicles on high-traffic routes. Taxi companies receive financial support to transition to low-emission vehicles, while businesses are offered grants to replace outdated, polluting vehicles.
Why Is Bradford’s Clean Air Zone More Effective Than London’s?
There are now more than 300 low-emission zones across the UK and Europe, but not all have been as successful as Bradford’s. In London, the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) was expanded to cover the entire city in August 2023, sparking widespread protests. The key difference is that London’s ULEZ also targets private cars that do not meet the latest emission standards, placing financial strain on many households.
Bradford took a different approach. The city actively supported businesses in transitioning to cleaner vehicles before the zone was implemented. The CAZ was also designed with social fairness in mind. Low-income communities are often the most affected by air pollution, despite contributing the least to it.
A study confirms this impact. “20% of the city population live inside the zone. These families tend to be the poorest, and most likely to suffer ill health. They are also less likely to cause pollution in the first place”, explains study leader Rosie McEachan.
This work is licensed under the Creative Common License. It can be republished for free, either translated or in the original language. In both cases, please cite The Better News / Sophie Wenkel as the original source/author and set a link to this article on TheBetter.news. https://thebetter.news/bradfords-clean-air-zone/
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The Aral Sea was once one of the largest lakes in the world. But within just a few decades, human actions nearly dried it up. The surrounding regions in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have faced drought, soil salinization, and severe sandstorms. However, in recent years, international cooperation has given the Aral Sea a second chance. Large-scale […]
The post From Crisis to Comeback: The Aral Sea’s Recovery appeared first on TheBetter.news.
