Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/James West (Australian journalist) (2nd nomination)


 * 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. – filelakeshoe (t / c) 🐱 12:48, 19 October 2021 (UTC)

James West (Australian journalist)
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Does not pass WP:BIO or WP:GNG. The article was previously nominated for deletion in 2010 here, which ended as no consensus because there were vague claims of notability concerning the book Bejing Blur (WP:AUTHOR or WP:NBOOK might be relevant). However, the sources presented aren’t much more than passing mentions, and the current sourcing in the article isn’t much better. Searching on Google, Google News, Google News Archive, Google Books, and Google Scholar yield only passing mentions. The article is currently not much more than an WP:ORPHAN and I doubt China Drive or List of alumni of Barker College are worth merging or redirecting to. There doesn’t appear to be any vandalism in the edit history so I doubt any useful sources have been removed or anything like that. TipsyElephant (talk) 14:13, 4 October 2021 (UTC)
 * Note: This discussion has been included in the list of People-related deletion discussions. TipsyElephant (talk) 14:13, 4 October 2021 (UTC)
 * Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Authors-related deletion discussions. TipsyElephant (talk) 14:13, 4 October 2021 (UTC)
 * Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Journalism-related deletion discussions. TipsyElephant (talk) 14:13, 4 October 2021 (UTC)
 * Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Literature-related deletion discussions. TipsyElephant (talk) 14:13, 4 October 2021 (UTC)
 * Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Radio-related deletion discussions. TipsyElephant (talk) 14:13, 4 October 2021 (UTC)
 * Note: This discussion has been included in the list of China-related deletion discussions. TipsyElephant (talk) 14:13, 4 October 2021 (UTC)
 * Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Australia-related deletion discussions. TipsyElephant (talk) 14:13, 4 October 2021 (UTC)


 * Delete Lack of independent and reliable sources.Brayan ocaner (talk) 16:24, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

Keep per the significant coverage in multiple independent reliable sources. Coverage about his trip to the United States:  The article notes: "James West has touched down in Sydney this morning after a whirlwind trip to the US that was sparked by an email mix-up but ultimately led to his first Thanksgiving dinner, a party on a yacht and a letter of thanks from a US congressman. ... West documented the entire adventure, including him helping prepare the dinner and the feast itself, on his YouTube channel and amassed a global following. He was interviewed by major US TV stations including CNN, NBC and CBS."   The article notes: "Yes, America, James Philip West made it for Thanksgiving Dinner — all the way from Sydney, Australia. The story of the 28-year-old Aussie journalist’s first Thanksgiving dinner began three years ago, when the Tran family of Jupiter inadvertently invited West to Thanksgiving dinner." </li> <li> The article notes: "James West first thought they were spam. ... West, a journalist in Sydney, Australia, finally decided to read one of the emails. Curiosity quickly had him hooked." </li> <li> The article notes: "A Sydney man's bid to track down an American family whose emails he had been mistakenly receiving for years has paid off. James West has been invited to Thanksgiving dinner with the Tran family in West Palm Beach, Florida, and flew  out of Sydney last night." </li> <li> The article notes: "So Mr West, an associate producer for an SBS TV show, took his plea to the modern day court of appeal — YouTube." </li> </ol></li><li>Coverage about his book Beijing Blur:<ol> <li> The article notes: "JAMES WEST WAS 23 WHEN HE worked in Beijing and he manages to make the experience sound as if he was the first man on Everest or, more precisely, the first gay man on Everest. West's sexual orientation and his understandable desire to have a good time are very much to the forefront of his book. ... On the strength of his ABC job he was sent to China in 2005 to work as an English editor for China Radio International." </li> <li> The article notes: "Author James West could have said: I told you so. Now he produces for Triple J, but in 2005-06, he worked for Chinese government radio. The propaganda shocked him:" </li> <li> The book review notes: "In 2005, James West went to Beijing on an exchange from the ABC to state-run China Radio International. Beijing Blur is part travelogue, part examination of contemporary China - especially the clash of traditional and ultra-modern life which confronts young Chinese. </li> <li> The article notes: "Nearly 25 years ago I was James West. Young, outwardly self-confident, direct to the cusp of (and sometimes way beyond) confronting and fascinated by the otherness of China ... The real James West has done it better than I could have. His personal memoir of a year spent living and working there unveils the China of today, and tomorrow, as a work in feverish progress. The service he renders the country, in Beijing Blur, though a scandalised government is hardly likely to credit him for it, is to show that there is not one China but many." </li> <li> The article notes: "In the book he explores youth culture, tours with a Chinese punk band and immerses himself in modern China. West has travelled to Beijing four times in the past two years and also loves Brooklyn, New York." </li> <li> The article notes: "After some boozy dancing on The Great Wall, doses of homesickness and culture shock, James gets down to business. He is employed by the Chinese state-run media, CRI, a place where the Government is exempt from criticism, but advertising, politics and journalism share inseparable and incestuous relationships." </li> <li> The article notes: "West leaves his family and boyfriend to discover the mysteries of the most populous country in the world, and Beijing Blur is the story of this young Australian journalist's year-long work placement in this titular city." </li> </ol> </ol>There is sufficient coverage in reliable sources to allow James West to pass Notability, which requires "significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject". Cunard (talk) 09:44, 11 October 2021 (UTC) </li></ul> <div class="xfd_relist" style="border-top: 1px solid #AAA; border-bottom: 1px solid #AAA; padding: 0px 25px;"> Relisted to generate a more thorough discussion and clearer consensus.

Please add new comments below this notice. Thanks, 78.26  (spin me / revolutions) 16:58, 11 October 2021 (UTC)
 * Keep per the sources found by User:Cunard showing that he passes WP:GNG and WP:BASIC VocalIndia (talk) 02:47, 13 October 2021 (UTC)
 * Comment I have added some of Cunard's sources, which certainly gives the page more starch. Cabrils (talk) 02:11, 15 October 2021 (UTC)
 * Keep Meets WP:BIO with sources presented by Cunard. They're reliable enough IMV. SBKSPP (talk) 00:39, 16 October 2021 (UTC)


 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. <b style="color:red">Please do not modify it.</b> 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.