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Our Wikipedia article describes us as ‘controversial’ in the opening line. Who can fix that?

Quick answer

Loaded lead language like "controversial" is an NPOV violation, fixed through a Talk-page edit request: cite NPOV, propose a neutral alternative supported by reliable sources, and let uninvolved community editors evaluate it.

When a Wikipedia article calls a company ‘controversial,’ ‘embattled,’ ‘troubled,’ or similar in its opening sentence, the issue is almost always a neutral-point-of-view (NPOV) problem, and almost always fixable. The first sentence should describe what the subject is in neutral terms, not how observers feel about it. Loaded language in the lead is one of the clearest NPOV violations, because it sets the tone of the entire article before any sourced detail.

Illustrative mockup of a Wikipedia article page for a fictional company, showing a before-and-after of the lead sentence: the 'before'.
Illustrative example only. The before version shows a lead sentence using the loaded word 'controversial' (an NPOV violation); the after version shows the neutral rewrite proposed on the article Talk page — the correct process for fixing characterizing language without direct editing. The fictional company 'Northwind Solutions' and all names are used for educational purposes only.

How the fix gets made

You do not edit the lead directly. The remedy runs through the article’s Talk page as an edit request that uninvolved community editors evaluate on its merits:

  1. Identify the loaded language. Point to the specific word or phrase in the lead that characterizes rather than describes the subject.
  2. Cite NPOV. Name the policy the wording violates, so the request is grounded in Wikipedia’s own standard rather than in preference.
  3. Propose a neutral alternative. Offer specific replacement wording for the sentence, supported by reliable sources.
  4. Let the community evaluate. Uninvolved editors review the request and implement it if it holds up.

What makes a proposed wording succeed

The replacement sentence should meet three criteria:

  • Specific, it says exactly what the sentence should read instead.
  • Demonstrably accurate, reliable sources support it.
  • Properly neutral, it describes the subject rather than characterizing it.

Done well, this kind of request typically gets implemented, because the community broadly supports NPOV. It does not require an argument with anyone, it requires a wording the policy plainly favors.

Last reviewed: 19/05/2026

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