Wikipedia:Fact laundering

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Shortcut WP:LAUNDER

This essay describes the phenomenon of "fact laundering", which bears many similarities to the illegal financial process which bears a similar metaphoric name, "money laundering". In money laundering, "dirty" funds obtained through a criminal enterprise (narcotics trafficking, prostitution rings, etc.) are "cleaned" by running the money through a front organization (e.g., a phony small business or a series of phony companies). The money that leaves the "front organization" appears to be revenues or profits from a bona fide business, and as such, it can be used without fear of questions from law enforcement agents about "where did that money come from?" With fact laundering, dubious information and unreliable sources are "whitewashed" by the information being included – accidentally or for other reasons – in a reputable newspaper article.

There are a number of circumstances which result in "facts" being included in Wikipedia articles for which there are no reliable sources or which cannot be verified. Many of the improperly included facts result from "passing through" a medium which is generally considered a reliable source. Thus the characteristics of the secondary source function as cover for a dubious source. This made up report of an allegation is typical. "The New York Times reported on October 13, 2006 in a copyrighted story that Jack Sprat has charged that his wife could eat no lean.^[1]" While the article could be cited and quoted as a reference for its statement of Jack's opinion, it should not be used as a means of implying that its statement is a fact.