Wikipedia:Let the reader decide
 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article or a Wikipedia policy, as it has not been reviewed by the community. |
 | This page in a nutshell: Don't consider a statement neutral just because you agree with it |
In Wikipedia, one of the key tenets is to keep a neutral point of view. However, sometimes it is tempting to use words that imply a point of view when the statement is essentially true. Just because no one will argue with your statement, does not mean it has a neutral point of view. Editor consensus therefore should not override policy guidelines.
If an editor knows that a POV statement would be true, they should instead use neutral statements backed up by reliable citation and let the reader make the conclusion. For example, an editor does not need to say that Adolf Hitler was a genocidal maniac hell-bent on killing all the Jews. If they provide enough cited statements about his books, speeches, and concentration camps, then the reader would likely draw that conclusion. And one last tip, be careful about wandering into the gray zone between making statements which are neutral and factual.
See also
[edit]- WP:ASF, a former section of NPOV called "A simple formulation" said, "Assert facts, including facts about opinions—but don't assert opinions themselves."
- WP:MORALIZE, let the facts speak for themselves and let the reader decide.