There might be moments when you’ll find yourself surprised or even embarrassed.
If you follow my content, you probably know I have guests who rely on me to be fair. I also think podcasts play a critical role; they help shape a worldview and support the idea that “the West is best,” backed up by factual information.
As for my interests—my love for the Cleveland Browns, Cavaliers, Guardians, and the Ohio State Buckeyes—might not resonate with everyone. But, hey, that’s part of the deal. For years, my audience has tolerated my quirks because they trust my insights on crucial perspectives, and they’re aware of my biases too.
Wikipedia co-founder discusses bias against conservatives and potential solutions
One figure making quite a stir since the tragic events of October 7, 2023, is Habib Rettig Gour.
Rettig Gour is an Israeli intellectual active on numerous platforms, including the Free Press and the Times of Israel, as well as hosting his own podcast, Ask Haviv Anything. His Patreon following is also on the rise.
I think his appeal stems from his teaching ability. He’s articulate, knowledgeable, engaging, and genuinely strives to convey historical perspectives and Israel’s current challenges. If he were teaching at Harvard, I suspect students would be clamoring to get into his classes. He ranks among the best teachers I’ve encountered, right alongside some esteemed educators from my own academic past.
After gaining attention through Dan Senor’s impactful podcast, Call Me Back, Rettig Gour introduced a distinct center-right narrative from Israel.
This is why I tune into every episode of “Ask Haviv Anything” and have him on my show almost monthly. It’s really no shocker that I often promote episodes from his podcast independently. His insights remind me of the late Charles Krauthammer—high praise indeed.
Up until now, I haven’t claimed any podcast episode is essential for state and federal lawmakers to hear.
But today, I genuinely believe they (and everyone) should check out his recent episode focusing on Wikipedia and Reddit, titled, “The invisible editor orchestrates an information war with Ashley Lindsberg.”
This episode is strikingly eye-opening—its content is significant, and I think most people curious about the world will find it worthwhile. I really hope this resonates with anyone aware of the importance of forming a meaningful “worldview.”
Haviv’s summary for the episode is blunt: it dives into a surprisingly small number of editors who have taken control of Wikipedia articles about Israel, skewing them into a narrow ideological perspective that doesn’t reflect the views of most Israelis or Jews. That’s a critical takeaway.
Even more concerning is not just Wikipedia’s evident bias against Jews and Israel, but also its pervasive bias on various crucial topics. Other notorious examples include entries on the “COVID-19 lab leak theory” and the notion that “Trump is authoritarian.”
The acronym “GASP”—coined by Wikipedia’s founder—simplifies the site’s bias as “Global, Academic, Secular, Progressive.”
To be honest, I didn’t fully grasp this until recently. Like many, I used to think Wikipedias’s “crowdsourced” model meant it was checked and cross-verified for accuracy by numerous volunteers. I thought it was generally reliable, with some minor flaws—just the occasional slip-up here and there.
But that’s not quite right. Wikipedia is, in a sense, an “information operation,” contaminating various AI models, not just search engines like Google. Ashley Rindsberg is a knowledgeable source on this topic, and his insights into the changes that have occurred within Wikipedia and Reddit over the years are essential.
People are not entirely oblivious to Wikipedia’s imperfections. Most have realized by now that entries on public figures often have inaccuracies and absurdities.
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However, I didn’t expect that major topic entries could be manipulated to such an extent that calling the bias “systemic and persistent” would echo sentiments expressed by President Trump.
The rise of AI depends heavily on aggregating data from online sources, especially platforms like Wikipedia and Reddit. The site’s more unscrupulous editors comprehend this well and have meticulously distorted entries, leading to warped perceptions of critical issues.
We’re learning that extremists are intentionally tainting AI systems, and those creating large-scale language models may either be indifferent to these issues or unaware of these biases proliferating in their products, as Rettig Gour and Lindsberg elucidate.
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Anti-Semitic extremists are aware of this and are turning large platforms into tools for information warfare against Israel. Even the Chinese Communist Party recognizes this, and they’ve invested heavily in manipulating crowdsourced sites and AI outputs based on everything available online.
You might choose to disregard my perspective, but I urge you to listen to Rettig Gour and Lindsberg. And perhaps question everything you read that comes from unverified sources—especially when it comes to Wikipedia. It may be best to steer clear of contributing to or relying on it altogether.
I host The Hugh Hewitt Show, airing weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET on the Salem Radio Network and streamed on the Salem News Channel. My show reaches over 400 affiliates across the country and on all available streaming platforms. I often appear on Fox News Channel’s News Roundtable, hosted by Bret Baier, weekdays at 6 p.m. ET. Having graduated from Harvard and the University of Michigan Law School, I’ve taught constitutional law since 1996 at Chapman University. I launched my radio show in 1990 and have participated in major national news discussions, hosted programs on PBS and MSNBC, and written extensively, authoring 12 books and moderating numerous Republican presidential debates in recent years. My focus includes the Constitution, national security, American politics, and, of course, my favorite sports teams. Over my 40 years in broadcasting, I’ve engaged a wide range of guests across the political spectrum. This summary highlights the key topics driving my content today.
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