User:Cmwhite/SkillsPortfolio

Skills portfolio

This is a proposed project in development. Please feel free to add to it or change it

This project provides a framework for Wikinews contributors to build a portfolio which can be used to demonstrate skills in journalism to potential employers or college tutors.

The skills portfolio can also be useful to demonstrate a level of professionalism to other Wikinewsies. Particularly when embarking on original reporting, a track record to show you are trustworthy is vital in such a large project as Wikinews.

Users should create their portfolio in their user space with links to all the required evidence. Although assessment is done by the user themself, the collection of material for the portfolio should provide enough evidence for use in presenting your work.

Employers or tutors should understand that stories may have been edited by others after being written, just as it would be in the news room. Commentary within a well presented portfolio will make it clear which work is that of the person presenting it.

Site admins may be approached to provide letters of support for Wikinewsies that have demonstrated their skills.

This page should be used by Wikinewsies to recogise each other's achievements. However, Wikinews stories do not have an 'owner'. Therefore, stories that have impressed and that meet the criteria in the awards below shoud be nominated for inclusion by Wikinewsies. This will provide a bank of 'model' stories.

It is then up to users in their portfolio to demonstrate the work they have put in to those particular stories.

Interested Administrators

• NGerda

How to create your portfolio

The portfolio should be kept as link(s) from your user page, eg User:Cmwhite/Portfolio.

The simplest way to start your portfolio is with the list of published stories that many users already track. You will probably already find that you are entitled to one of the Contributing reporter awards.

For the other awards, copy the award requirements onto a page and then use commentary, link, copied text and revisions to show how your work meets the criteria.

Writers will need to use clear page revision notes to show what they have done on particular stories. If you have not done in the past, you may need to start a fresh piece of work for presentation in your portfolio.

Contributing reporter awards

These awards are given in recognition of numbers of stories written and published. There is a dedicated page for these awards (add link).

Reporting skills

For each award in this section, reporters must provide a story for which they have written at least five paragraphs and provided the other requirements (such as sources) themselves. All stories must have been published and meet the Wikinews style guide, NPOV policies and include Wikipedia links and categories.

The skills assessed in these awards are loosely based on requirements for the UK NCTJ preliminary journalist news writing qualifications.

Reporting skills: original reporting

Writers provide a story based on at least one source as well as the answers to five follow-up questions, answers to which have been sought by the writer and notes provided in the Talk page.

Reporting skills: synthesised reporting

Writers provide a story with at least five sources, from which they have written a complete original story

Reporting skills: community reporting

With a portfolio of at least five stories, writers show a track record of reporting about a particular community on Wikinews, which may be based on a locality or group.

Reporting skills: international reporting

Writers provide a portfolio of at least five stories on a country or countries that is not their own.

Reporting skills: award for excellence

This is peer awarded, with stories to be nominated by at least three community members and receiving no significant opposition. Credit goes to all involved in the story.

Editing skills: sub editing

Sub-editors must demonstrate a substantial number of edits in the main article space which should include: page moves (headline changes), copy edits, spelling corrections and style improvements with reference to the Wikinews style guide.

Technical skills: Wiki programming

A story for this award does not need to have been written by the person themselves, but they should have added the following elements: - a source, properly coded - at least three Wikipedia references linked within the story - Use of categories and preferably a template box or other element - a formatted image

Technical skills: Design

Within their sandbox, writers should produce an original piece of design such as a redesign of the frontpage, an article or article box.

Technical skills: Artwork

This is for designing a logo or image which can be used on Wikinews. It could be an improvement on an existing logo, but demonstration that the image has been useful somewhere on the site would merit extra credit.

Essential skills: Law & governance

Reporters need a working knowledge of the law and governmental institutions in their area. For these awards writers should produce a fully sourced reference guide for the community on a definable region and one particular area of law or governance, which they can cite as their specialism: obviously they could do more than one. If their choice has been done already, they should demonstrably add to it substantially or choose another area. The article should be written in the userspace and linked to here. Examples might be libel law in the USA or local government structures in England.