The president and CEO of NPR stated that she no longer considers the concept of a “free and open” internet as the primary goal of Wikipedia, an organization she formerly headed.
This shift in perspective is due to her belief that the idea of an open internet is rooted in the perspectives and values of white, male, Western societies.
In a recently released video clip, Katherine Maher, who assumed the role of NPR’s chief executive in January, expresses her belief that the free and open principles of Wikipedia are fundamentally restrictive.
Christopher Rufo, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, uploaded the video to X.
“I have come to the opinion and the perspective that ‘free and open’ was a way of looking at the world that was inherently limited relative to what we were trying to achieve,” Maher can be seen saying in one of the clips.
“The ways in which we ascribe notability often really comes from sort of this white, male, Westernized construct around who matters in societies and who is elevated and whose voices. And so some of these ideas of sort of this radical openness really did not end up living into the intentionality of what openness can be,” she also says in one of the clips.
Maher held the position of chief executive at the Wikimedia Foundation, a nonprofit organization responsible for operating Wikipedia, from 2019 to 2021.
Maher has recently faced criticism from conservatives following revelations by a former NPR editor on the outlet’s left tilt. Uri Berliner, a former editor, resigned on Wednesday following his suspension by NPR.
Following the allegations made by the NPR editor, numerous tweets and past statements from Maher have emerged, which have further fueled the public’s anger.
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