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The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was keep. LFaraone 02:45, 10 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

George Rolph (activist)

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George Rolph (activist) (edit | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views) – (View log · Stats)
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No assertion of notability per WP:BIO, and no significant coverage online from WP:Reliable sources. The refs include one interview in the Morning Star (British newspaper), but the rest are blogs, claim of a local TV interview on a blog, a chatboard and and a local freesheet. The sole claim to notability is his hunger strike, but per WP:BLP1E this alone doesn't make him notable enough for a separate article, though I'd say he's notable enough for a mention in Atos, with the Morning Star source. Proposed deletion contested by article's creator. Captain Conundrum (talk) 02:05, 2 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Note: This debate has been included in the list of People-related deletion discussions. Captain Conundrum (talk) 02:08, 2 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Note: This debate has been included in the list of England-related deletion discussions. Captain Conundrum (talk) 02:08, 2 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
  • Keep - Two YouTube refs have been added to the article which confirms that Rolph has appeared twice on BBC London News in connection with two different campaigns. I believe more sources will become available shortly and that there is just enough at present to make a claim for notability. NationalTreasure (talk) 11:43, 2 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Weak keep Second campaign now has more media traction, though it's hardly the first hunger strike against Atos. May or may not leave a trace, time will tell.Truth or consequences-2 (talk) 11:00, 4 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
  • Keep. Firstly, this is not WP:BLP1E as the article refers to two quite seperate events, both which have references. Secondly, I disagree with Captain Conundrum that George Rolph's sole claim to notability is his hunger strike. George Rolph has been a notable supporter and initiator of two campaigns. Notable enough to be interviewed on BBC TV on both occasions OSLJA (talk) 16:04, 2 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
  • Keep. Article is of considerable interest, as this is the first person to go on hunger strike over DWP policies, or at least the first with coverage in a national newspaper [1]. So far as I can see, even if this were the only event, WP:BLP1E also would not apply because the fact Rolph is seeking publicity, means this is not a low-profile individual as that policy would require. --Cedderstk 17:54, 4 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Comment: Rolph is not the first to go on such a hunger strike and be reported in a national newspaper. The Independent reported on this previous instance, for example. What distinguishes Rolph is doggedness and a knack for getting publicity. I don't get the point about seeking publicity as a positive criterion for WP inclusion.Truth or consequences-2 (talk) 23:22, 4 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Comment by nominator: Agreed, in fact WP:GNG notes that self-publicity is not independent of the subject. It should also be pointed out to non-UK editors that while the Morning Star (British newspaper) is distributed nationally (you typically see one or two copies stocked in most supermarkets), it doesn't come close to the mass-market level of readership that people normally associate with a "national" newspaper: it's distributed at a loss by a tiny political group who rely on donations to stave off its bankruptcy. That interview is the only newspaper coverage he's had. I see so many AFDs concluding that a person's not notable even though they've been interviewed a few times on television news. So I still don't understand how this man who, while most admirable, meets the notability standards of WP:BIO. It's also taken a fair bit of re-editing to keep the article WP:NPOV, and not turning into his campaign page: I ask all editors involved to have a read of WP:WORTHYCAUSE.
I should also point out my own potential WP:COI: I have a severely disabled immediate family member who had to fight Atos like a wild animal a few months ago to hang onto his (disgracefully low) disability payments. During the first interview the Atos doctor, who has since quit in disgust, began to cry when describing how a few minutes earlier he'd had to insist that a cancer patient in the middle of chemotherapy had to leave his hospital bed to appear at an Atos assessment, or lose his disability payments. So I know better than many editors just how utterly evil Atos is as a company, and applaud when people like Rolph fight them. Nevertheless, we need to stick to Wikipedia policy, and not make exceptions for people we admire, or the whole WP:AFD process becomes a useless, cliquey nonsense. Thanks, Captain Conundrum (talk) 06:32, 5 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
  • Keep. This article is a useful addition to wiki project. Re notability - the subject has appeared on tv on 5 occasions; on radio once and in a national newspaper. His campaign is still underway and should result in further media coverage within the week.Partitas (talk) 09:45, 5 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
WP:ITSUSEFUL, but appearing on TV 5 times doesn't necessarily make someone notable. How is he notable per WP:BIO please? Thanks, Captain Conundrum (talk) 10:48, 5 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
How is he notable per WP:BIO? I see no evidence to suggest that he doesn't satisfy the requirements of WP:BASIC. Partitas (talk) 12:14, 5 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Per WP:BASIC, he's had only trivial coverage. The Morning Star, as noted above, is not a reliable source on its own, and that very short article cannot be described as substantial coverage in a "national newspaper", any more than getting a few paragraphs in one of the coffee table magazines that get distributed in hotels would be. I see from your user page that you're based in New York City: the Morning Star is best described as the CPB's version of the National Enquirer, a political supermarket sheet with the Enquirer's standards for fact checking, but without its high level of readership. Neither the Morning Star article nor the very short TV appearances so far are WP:Independent, substantial coverage described in WP:BASIC, and so far the mainstream press have taken no notice of him. If we could find a profile on his career in a mainstream national newspaper or a reliable online publication, which wasn't just him promoting his current campaign, I'd withdraw the nomination. Captain Conundrum (talk) 04:52, 7 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Thanks for your info. I understand from looking at Rolph's publicity that a researcher from the 'Independent Newspaper' is preparing a story and that 'The Daily Mirror' are sending someone on Monday 10 June to interview him. The mainstream media have been slow to pick up on his story, it's true. Partitas (talk) 15:15, 7 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Either one of those would be great. I don't use Facebook, so thanks for letting us know. Captain Conundrum (talk) 15:41, 7 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Could you please explain how the article passes GNG? Thanks, Captain Conundrum (talk) 08:32, 8 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]
The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.
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