Instigator / Pro
25
1922
rating
117
debates
97.44%
won
Topic
#2564

THBT: WiKiPEDIA is a MORE RELIABLE SOURCE for INFORMATION than FOX NEWS

Status
Finished

The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.

Winner & statistics
Better arguments
3
18
Better sources
10
6
Better legibility
6
6
Better conduct
6
6

After 6 votes and with 11 points ahead, the winner is...

Fruit_Inspector
Parameters
Publication date
Last updated date
Type
Standard
Number of rounds
3
Time for argument
Three days
Max argument characters
5,000
Voting period
One week
Point system
Multiple criterions
Voting system
Open
Contender / Con
36
1632
rating
20
debates
72.5%
won
Description

THBT: WiKiPEDIA is a MORE RELIABLE SOURCE for INFORMATION than FOX NEWS

DEFINITIONS:

WiKiPEDIA is "a multilingual online encyclopedia created and maintained as an open collaboration project by a community of volunteer editors using a wiki-based editing system. It is the largest and most popular general reference work on the World Wide Web. It is also one of the 15 most popular websites as ranked by Alexa, as of August 2020. It features exclusively free content and has no advertising. It is hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation, an American non-profit organization funded primarily through donations."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia

MORE RELIABLE [comparative form of] RELIABLE is "better suit[ed] or fit to be relied on; more worthy of dependence, reliance or trust; more dependable, more trustworthy "
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/reliable

SOURCE is "the person, place or thing from which something (information, goods, etc.) comes or is acquired."
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/source

INFORMATION is "things that are or can be known about a given topic; communicable knowledge of something."
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/information

FOX NEWS is "an American multinational conservative cable news television channel. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owned by the Fox Corporation. The channel broadcasts primarily from studios at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in New York City. Fox News provides service to 86 countries and overseas territories worldwide, with international broadcasts featuring Fox Extra segments during ad breaks."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_News

BURDEN of PROOF

Wikipedia advises:
"When two parties are in a discussion and one makes a claim that the other disputes, the one who makes the claim typically has a burden of proof to justify or substantiate that claim especially when it challenges a perceived status quo. This is also stated in Hitchens's razor, which declares that "what may be asserted without evidence, may be dismissed without evidence." Carl Sagan proposed a related criterion – "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" – which is known as the Sagan standard."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burden_of_proof_(philosophy)

As instigator PRO bears the larger burden, however CON has a responsibility to affirm that FOX is more reliable than Wikipedia. PRO must show evidence that Wikipedia is more reliable than FOX. CON must show evidence that FOX NEWS is more reliable than Wikipedia.

PRO is requesting sincere and friendly engagement on this subject.
No trolls or kritiks, please.

- RULES --
1. Forfeit=auto loss
2. Sources may be merely linked in debate as long as citations are listed in comments
3. No new arguments in the final round
4. For all intents and purposes, Donald Trump may not be used as a source of information. Trump may be quoted but Trump's testimony or opinion must never be mistaken for reliable evidence
5. For all relevant terms, individuals should use commonplace understandings that fit within the rational context of this resolution and debate

Criterion
Pro
Tie
Con
Points
Better arguments
3 point(s)
Better sources
2 point(s)
Better legibility
1 point(s)
Better conduct
1 point(s)
Reason:

I will be voting TIE in all categories because of personal bias. Nevertheless, I believe that CON won this debate. The stack-up of arguments is divergent in two directions, but PRO consistently fails to display why his way of determining RELIABILITY is truly the best method or standard. In addition, though I would give PRO source points for using a variety of ideas to push his point forward, I do not think they are enough to overcome CON's doubt. CON managed to defeat what little accusations PRO could offer concerning Fox News -- there is a lot of more convincing evidence PRO could have chosen. PRO's own paradox regarding Wiki slowly builds up throughout the debate, the doubt never truly resolved.

Criterion
Pro
Tie
Con
Points
Better arguments
3 point(s)
Better sources
2 point(s)
Better legibility
1 point(s)
Better conduct
1 point(s)
Reason:

Reason for Decision will be re-posted in the comments section.

Criterion
Pro
Tie
Con
Points
Better arguments
3 point(s)
Better sources
2 point(s)
Better legibility
1 point(s)
Better conduct
1 point(s)
Reason:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Coitgg76Y_Tl_V3KE76WdpxscdiqJuaWXMJUbs-D4JY/edit

Criterion
Pro
Tie
Con
Points
Better arguments
3 point(s)
Better sources
2 point(s)
Better legibility
1 point(s)
Better conduct
1 point(s)
Reason:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gVL4Du57QjtsfoSVpEstaAy5xtRQ4Im98Kf01XgEHJU/edit?usp=sharing

Criterion
Pro
Tie
Con
Points
Better arguments
3 point(s)
Better sources
2 point(s)
Better legibility
1 point(s)
Better conduct
1 point(s)
Reason:

I would call this a back-and-forth tight debate. Even if the extraordinary streak is over for Oromagi, there's no shame going out with this debate. What an amazing exchange!

Now, the debate premise chosen by Pro was already against his favor given the technicalities- as Con pointed out in his R3 argument that the debate involved comparison in terms of reliability of sources; not accuracy that Pro so strongly emphasized on. Also, in his R1 argument, Con convincingly asserted that the types of sources of information draw a significant distinction between Wikipedia (tertiary source) and Fox (primary/secondary source) and kept pressing the argument on without being challenged. Such short but effective articulation, in my opinion, has sealed the deal for Con. Arguments to Con.

Despite better display of rationality and logical derivation of facts from Con, Pro cited some really powerful sources for his case (e.g; mediabiasfactcheck). Sources to Pro.

Criterion
Pro
Tie
Con
Points
Better arguments
3 point(s)
Better sources
2 point(s)
Better legibility
1 point(s)
Better conduct
1 point(s)
Reason:

Argument: Pro makes a mistake in comparison of two differing entities in terms of their respective raison d'etre: why they exist. The entities, Wiki and Fox News do not exist on the same playing field. While each have elements of crossover, on the whole, Pro does not convince that they have sufficient nexus to be compared by an equivalent standard. In this regard, Con offered a better argument, with a convincing source, in suggesting source tiers: primary, secondary, tertiary. The two subjects, Wiki and Fox News, are simply, conclusively on separate tiers. Points to Con.

Sources: While Con's source of tiers of sourcing is compelling, it ends up being Con's strongest suit, whereas Pro had multiple sources of strength, such as mediabiasfactcheck, and pew research, which, on balance, outweigh Con's APUS. Points to Pro

S&G: Tie

Conduct: Tie