[ilamont]

This trend has a significant impact on Wikipedia, which relies on press coverage to determine what articles are suitable for inclusion, and what "facts" can be used for Wikipedia articles.

Press coverage tends toward the sensational, visual, beautiful, controversial, current, language-specific, and easily explained. If a topic doesn't meet those criteria, it probably won't be covered by the press -- unless the topic in question has some well-connected PR firm or publicist pushing for it.

[zecho]

Relevant: http://www.deceptology.com/2013/03/how-deception-gave-ball-p...

[ryanholiday]

It goes the other way around too. Most reporters and bloggers get their basic facts from Wikipedia. So it's a feedback loop. Wikipedia frames reporting which can then be used to "support" or cite that very same framing.

Almost every public figure has seen some inaccuracy from their Wikipedia page come up in a news story or an interview at one time or another.

[FreezerburnV]

XKCD explains this effect quite nicely, I think: http://xkcd.com/978/