Coverage of Wikimania Katowice travels around the world

Word of Wikimania Katowice has echoed across the globe. From August 7-10, the conference brought together more than 2200 Wikimedians from 143 countries and, in the month since, the Wikimania love has spread even farther. 

Wikimania has been covered over 100 times across community channels and in the global news media. Here’s a curated reading list to help you catch up.

Wikimania Katowice in community news

In over 20 posts in community channels, Wikimania attendees have shared their learnings, their excitement, and the skills and connections they’ve brought back home:

• The Translation Team at Wikimania: The Bridge of Communication that Unites the World – a reflection on working as an event text translator and what it means for the accessibility of Wikimedia conferences.

By bridging language barriers, the translation team not only facilitated effective communication but also reinforced the spirit of shared knowledge and collective achievement that defines Wikimania. Their contribution was instrumental in creating an environment where every voice could be heard and valued, exemplifying the essence of the conference’s mission to unite and celebrate the global community of Wikimedians.
– User:Osps7

• A behind-the-scenes look at the performance of the WikiOrchestra

• A month after Wikimania 2024 – the outcomes and impact of the conference from conference organizing lead Maciej Nadzikiewicz
• What it’s like to be Wikimedian of the Year – a recap of attended sessions and interesting hallway conversations by User:Clovermoss

It was incredibly difficult to keep a straight face and not give the secret away at that point. When we all sat down at a table in the room for the opening ceremony, at 5 pm, my heart was pounding, but I tried my best to remain calm and just act like everything was normal, and I think I did a good job acting the part.
– User:Clovermoss

• A beginner’s guide to a remote Wikimedia conference – how to make the most of virtual Wikimania or any virtual conference

• Confessions of a Program Reviewer – keys to a good program submission by User:さえぼ
• An Interview with Functionary of the Year Vira Motorko, including the role Wikipedia has played in Vira’s life during the war in Ukraine

In 2022, Wikipedia helped me a lot. Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, I just sat and held on to the only stable thing that didn’t go anywhere, that I knew how it worked, what to do with it, and where I could do something. I sat and just threw myself into editing Wikipedia.
– Vira Motorko

• An analysis of the role of Wkimedia in Human rights, highlighting how Wikimania contributes to collaboration and knowledge sharing in this realm
• A retrospective and lessons for the future for organizing Wikimania, hosted by the WikiAfrica Hour
• A community interview with User:さえぼー on the Japanese radio program “After Six Junction”
• Reflections and conference highlights by Wikimedians from Baghdad, from India, from Bolivia, from Armenia, from Greece, from Argentina, from Brazil, from Japan, from Wikimedians from the Central Asia region, from our 2023 Newcomer of the Year Eugene Ormandy in a three-part series [1][2][3], and from our 2024 Media Contributor of the Year Kurmanbek also in three parts [1][2][3]

Wikimania Katowice in the news media

In addition to community coverage, there has been a big uptake of Wikimania stories in the media, with more than 100 news pieces published globally. The Economist described how the conference halls of Katowice “filled with WikiFauna, the people who edit Wikipedia.” And The Guardian remarked that Wikimania is “an event that feels a bit like an international summit of librarians crossed with Comic-Con.” 

Overall, there were 56 online articles, including pieces by The Hindu and The Press Trust of India about the Wikimedians of the Year [1][2], an interview in the Polish press with Jimmy Wales on the topic of AI, and an interview with Ukrainian media featuring the Functionary of the Year. Wikimania was featured in four radio segments, including the BBC Tech Life podcast, as well as 8 television spots including on the Katowice local news.  Coverage helped us both raise awareness and increase understanding of the Wikimedia projects, as well as building the reputation of the projects and the larger movement. 

We’d like to thank everyone who helped build the buzz around Wikimania Katowice and keep the excitement going! We look forward to another wonderful Wikimania next year in Nairobi.