Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Reuben Solomon

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 no consensus‎. The discussion fell along two main lines: one group felt that there was insufficient depth of coverage to support the BLP, the other noted the subject was name-checked in several reliable sources as an important political operative, and was notable. I don't see that either group was able to push through to gain consensus. Xymmax ^{So let it be written} _{So let it be done} 03:50, 2 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Reuben Solomon (edit | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views) – (View log | edits since nomination)

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BLP doesn't seem to meet WP:NBIO - lacks in-depth coverage. MrsSnoozyTurtle 10:22, 28 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]

• Delete. Passing mentions are not enough for WP:NBIO. Fad Ariff (talk) 12:10, 28 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]
• Keep. Reuben Solomon meets the notability guidelines for a BLP article, as he has been featured substantially in multiple articles from leading and reputable UK news sources. These articles provide significant coverage of Solomon, discussing his key roles and contributions in shaping digital strategies for influential political campaigns, and demonstrating his notability as an individual in the field of political communication. The available sources are reliable and independent, further supporting the stand-alone article on Reuben Solomon that adheres to notability standards. Typically, read the article entitled "Liz Truss v Rishi Sunak: Who's winning the social media war?", BBC, 23 July 2022, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-62238068. This reputable BBC article delves into the distinct differences between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak’s digital campaigns in their bid for Prime Minister. Reuben Solomon, who “runs Truss’ social team”, is focused on as leading and shaping her digital strategy as the article contrasts both digital campaigns, emphasizing the significance of digital media communication in modern political races. BLP certainly meets WP:NBIO.Didgeridoo2022 (talk 12:06, 30 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]
• Note: This discussion has been included in the deletion sorting lists for the following topics: People, News media, Politics, United Kingdom, and Australia. Skynxnex (talk) 17:02, 28 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]
• keep/comment Well, I think all sources discusses the subject in enough depth accord with WP:BIO etc. For example, The Telegraph article examines key members of Liz Truss’s team, with a particular focus on Reuben Solomon. Similarly, before becoming a Special Adviser, he was covered by The Guardian, which exposed him as the person behind influential political advertising campaigns. This significant coverage generated a lot of interest on social media. And, The Byline Times article also covers him. Actually, I believe that in the UK he is notable due to the recent political events and involvement of social media in campaigns. B&W penguin (talk) 11:21, 2 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]
• Delete. The sources' publications are generally reliable, however the mentions seem pretty slim and in-passing on my reading. I can't access The Telegraph article B&W Penguin refers to, but other Telegraph articles I can access barely mention him. The other sources on the page similarly briefly mention him at best. Similarly, The Guardian article refers to Solomon as one of the "individual[s] with the ability to place adverts" on a Facebook page, who "worked for Crosby", "is also connected to a page called We are the 52%" and is "listed as an administrator on at least a dozen other pro-Brexit pages". I don't see how this meets WP:ANYBIO? The BBC article Digeridoo refers to mentions Solomon once: "Liz Truss's social team, run by Reuben Solomon, former head of digital at the Conservative Party, and a protege of Boris Johnson's favourite election strategist Sir Lynton Crosby, have played it safer so far.". Again, I can't see this passing mention meeting WP:ANYBIO? I think this is a case of WP:TOOSOON. Cabrils (talk) 23:20, 4 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

  He's a webmaster for a political party, that's basically what a social media strategist is these days. He's in the PR department and runs things, which isn't otherwise notable. Oaktree b (talk) 19:29, 22 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

• Delete He gets brief mentions in sources, but nothing in total to push him to WP:BIO. LibStar (talk) 00:46, 5 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]
• Keep. Expanding on what I wrote earlier and for those who cannot access The Telegraph, here is a synopsis:

How Liz Truss snapped up the finest minds in wonkland to run her bid for No 10. The Telegraph - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/07/27/how-liz-truss-plundered-best-westminster-wonkland-take-rishi/ 27 July 2022 The Telegraph article examines key members of Liz Truss’s team, with a particular focus on Reuben Solomon, who occupies “one of the most critical roles” as the head of digital. This article prominently features a photo of Reuben Solomon. Controversial articles about digital campaigns. Facebook Brexit ads secretly run by staff of Lynton Crosby firm. The Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/03/grassroots-facebook-brexit-ads-secretly-run-by-staff-of-lynton-crosby-firm Wed 3 Apr 2019 The Guardian’s article highlights Reuben Solomon as a central figure in discreetly orchestrating “hugely influential” pro-Brexit Facebook advertising campaigns. It discloses Solomon’s significant role in managing influential groups that together spent up to £1 million on targeted advertising. This article garnered substantial attention on social media in 2019 and has been cited by The Guardian on multiple times, including here and as recently as last year. Content Creating Over Policy Making: The Next Instagram Prime Minister. Byline Times - https://bylinetimes.com/2022/07/28/content-creating-over-policy-making-the-next-instagram-prime-minister/ 28 July 2022 The Byline Times article emphasizes the growing importance of branding and social media presence over policy in the leadership race, underscoring Reuben Solomon’s crucial role in Truss’s campaign, managing her social media strategy. As both candidates focus on their online presence and catchy slogans, the article implies that they might prioritize content creation over policy making. So we have more than just “passing mentions” and therefore the article does meet WP:BIO. This also refutes that this is a case of WP:TOOSOON which states “If sources do not exist, it is generally too soon for an article on that topic to be considered.”Didgeridoo2022 talk 01:06, 4 Apr 2023 (UTC)

Hello Didgeridoo2022. I don't think that those articles cover Mr Soloman in sufficient depth to meet WP:NBIO. Regards, MrsSnoozyTurtle 21:39, 6 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Relisted to generate a more thorough discussion and clearer consensus.
Please add new comments below this notice. Thanks, Aoidh (talk) 05:59, 6 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Keep. I'm in general agreement with what B&W Penguin says above and most of what Didgeridoo2022 says. The media mentions about Solomon do mean he is notable enough to justify WP:BIO in my opinion, however, I do think at times the article erred away from neutrality in it's tone with reference to some of the points such as Solomon's nickname of 'Social Media Wizard'. I have trimmed the article myself to address this and believe it now reads much more as a neutral article. As said previously, my opinion is that the article is justified due to Solomon's various roles with the UK government and his mentions in the media. Nmill8093 (talk) 14:11, 21 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

This Wikipedia article is well-sourced and meets WP:NBIO. In addition to the previously mentioned sources, Reuben Solomon has been featured in multiple other respected publications. Before Liz Truss became Prime Minister, The Times, a respected national newspaper in Britain, highlighted Reuben Solomon in the article “Liz Truss’s blueprint for her first month as prime minister.” (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/liz-trusss-blueprint-for-her-first-month-as-prime-minister-hlggwh27x). Under the heading “Appointing the big beasts” the article identifies him as Truss’s ‘social media wizard’ at the Foreign Office “credited with keeping her profile as slick as her competitor’s, is in line to become the head of digital.” Then when she did become Prime Minister, Politico (a leading political news outlet) published an article titled “How Liz Truss did it,” (https://www.politico.eu/article/how-liz-truss-did-it/) which highlighted him as a key adviser assembled on her campaign team throughout the summer. Two articles in PR Week, (a leading publication in the PR industry) also covered him in the context of Truss’s senior team. In the article, the director of WPI (a political strategy firm) stated that “Her Downing Street team will undoubtedly include a top-class digital operator, likely Reuben Solomon, who will ensure she continues to communicate directly with the electorate” (https://www.prweek.com/article/1798063/liz-truss-plan-no-10-comms) while another article described Solomon's role as the person “in charge” of managing the Prime Minister's social media presence. (https://www.prweek.com/article/1798129/team-truss-taking-shape-raft-comms-hires). In a separate search, I found additional coverage of Reuben Solomon: “Spads, super-strategists and secret weapons — meet the real stars behind the Tory leadership campaigns.” from The Evening Standard, a widely read, London-based newspaper. This article provides an in-depth look at the key players involved in the Conservative Party leadership campaigns. It highlights the various experts, advisers, and strategists who have played a crucial role in shaping the campaigns and includes Solomon under the sub-heading “The Instagram experts”, highlighting him as the former CCHQ head of digital, and considered to be the man behind her social media successes. (https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/conservative-leadership-race-campaign-teams-social-media-comms-special-advisors-lizz-truss-rishi-sunak-b1013495.html). By the way, MrsSnoozyTurtle, his surname is Solomon, not Soloman.Didgeridoo2022 (talk) 00:16, 8 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Relisted to generate a more thorough discussion and clearer consensus.
Please add new comments below this notice. Thanks, Xymmax ^{So let it be written} _{So let it be done} 02:53, 14 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Delete he's gotten his name in media enough times, but there is hardly anything about him as a person. Talking to media and being the subject of a media piece are two different things. Oaktree b (talk) 12:15, 14 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

• Keep. To reiterate, Reuben Solomon has been featured in multiple major and respected publications such as The BBC, The Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Evening Standard, Politico and PR Week, which highlight his significant, widely recognized and occasionally controversial contributions to the political and digital spheres in the United Kingdom.

The coverage in these reputable sources aligns completely with Wikipedia's notability guidelines for biographies, specifically WP:NBIO, which requires “significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject.” Given the numerous reliable and independent sources acknowledging his prominence in political advisory and digital media strategy, Reuben Solomon clearly meets the criteria for a standalone Wikipedia article, and as such, the article should be retained.Didgeridoo2022 (talk) 02:37, 16 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Comment I think everyone agrees that he is mentioned and is in Media. Obviously, if someone is notable is in media and especially all reliable sources. This is in the UK only therefore it's like this because in UK politics he is notable.B&W penguin (talk) 09:46, 19 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Keep. The detractors’ reasons for deletion seem to have become more irrelevant with each passing comment. Is there perhaps just a little hint of something else in their intent?ZogNitKeynmol (talk) 22:29, 21 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Relisted to generate a more thorough discussion and clearer consensus.
Please add new comments below this notice. Thanks, Guerillero ^{Parlez Moi} 14:45, 22 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

• Comment Featured in the publications doesn't equal notability. He's always mentioned in connection with some government thing/talking point, there is very little about him as a person, or that discusses him at length. He's a civil servant that is good at PR work. Not terribly notable outside of that context. Oaktree b (talk) 19:27, 22 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

• Delete I'm with User:Oaktree b on this - the fellow is (was?) in a non-elected position in the UK government, so his name appears from time to time in the newspaper. None of the articles are about him, one may hint at him but doesn't even name him, and the remainder are mentions in articles about someone or something else. Lamona (talk) 04:06, 28 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Comment . This has gone on long enough. One could even question the motives of the original AfD. There are so many articles on Wikipedia similar to this one that don't get the same attention. Why was this one singled out? There are many references in this discussion that repudiate the latest contribution. Using words like "the fellow is (was?)" , "name appears from time to time", "None of the articles are about him, one may hint at him", "the remainder are mentions in articles about someone or something else" are just not true! There's a saying in Yiddish: "Mentsh vas hat nisht lib yidn zenen vi termitn - zey lebn ineveynik aun itst aun dan kumen aoys fun di holts"ZogNitKeynmol (talk) 08:34, 1 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Hello ZogNitKeynmol, which independent sources do you believe provide the in-depth coverage needed to prove notability? Regards, MrsSnoozyTurtle 08:59, 1 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

"There are so many articles on Wikipedia similar to this one that don't get the same attention." See WP:OTHERSTUFFEXISTS. LibStar (talk) 10:58, 1 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Take your pick: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-62238068; https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/07/27/how-liz-truss-plundered-best-westminster-wonkland-take-rishi/; https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/03/grassroots-facebook-brexit-ads-secretly-run-by-staff-of-lynton-crosby-firm; https://bylinetimes.com/2022/07/28/content-creating-over-policy-making-the-next-instagram-prime-minister/; https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/liz-trusss-blueprint-for-her-first-month-as-prime-minister-hlggwh27x; (https://www.politico.eu/article/how-liz-truss-did-it/; https://www.prweek.com/article/1798063/liz-truss-plan-no-10-comms; https://www.prweek.com/article/1798129/team-truss-taking-shape-raft-comms-hires; (https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/conservative-leadership-race-campaign-teams-social-media-comms-special-advisors-lizz-truss-rishi-sunak-b1013495.html ZogNitKeynmol (talk) 10:45, 1 May 2023 (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.