Welcome to Wikinews

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Getting started as a contributor
How to write an article
  1. Pick something current?
  2. Use two independent sources?
  3. Read your sources before writing the story in your own words?. Do choose a unique title? before you start.
  4. Follow Wikinews' structure? for articles, answering as many of who what when where why and how? as you can; summarised in a short, two- or three-sentence opening paragraph. Once complete, your article must be three or more paragraphs.
  5. If you need help, you can add {{helpme}} to your talkpage, along with a question, or alternatively, just ask?

  • Use this tab to enter your title and get a basic article template.
    [RECOMMENDED. Starts your article through the semi-automated {{develop}}—>{{review}}—>{{publish}} collaboration process.]

 Welcome! Thank you for joining Wikinews; we'd love for you to stick around and get more involved. To help you get started we have an essay that will guide you through the process of writing your first full article. There are many other things you can do on the project, but its lifeblood is new, current, stories written neutrally.
As you get more involved, you will need to look into key project policies and other discussions you can participate in; so, keep this message on this page and refer to the other links in it when you want to learn more, or have any problems.

Wikipedia's puzzle-globe logo, © Wikimedia Foundation
Wikipedia's puzzle-globe logo, © Wikimedia Foundation
  Used to contributing to Wikipedia? See here.
All Wikimedia projects have rules. Here are ours.

Listed here are the official policies of the project, you may be referred to some of them if your early attempts at writing articles don't follow them. Don't let this discourage you, we all had to start somewhere.

The rules and guides laid out here are intended to keep content to high standards and meet certain rules the Wikimedia Foundation applies to all projects. It may seem like a lot to read, but you do not have to go through it all in one sitting, or know them all before you can start contributing.

Remember, you should enjoy contributing to the project. If you're really stuck come chat with the regulars. There's usually someone in chat who will be happy to help, but they may not respond instantly.

The core policies
Places to go, people to meet

Wiki projects work because a sense of community forms around the project. Although writing news is far more individualistic than contributing to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, people often need minor help with things like spelling and copyediting. If a story isn't too old you might be able to expand it, or if it is disputed you may be able to find some more sources and rescue it before it is listed for deletion.

There are always discussions going on about how the site could be improved, and your input is of value. Check the links here to see where you can give input to the running of the Wikinews project.

Find help and get involved
Write your first article for Wikinews!

Use the following box to help you create your first article. Simply type in a title to your story and press "Create page". Then start typing text to your story into the new box that will come up. When you're done, press "save page". That's all there is to it!



It is recommended you read the article guide before starting. Also make sure to check the list of recently created articles to see if your story hasn't already been reported upon.

Blood Red Sandman (Talk) (Contribs) 22:40, 15 September 2010 (UTC)Reply

Hi. I left a comment on the article. It presents itself as about something that happened three weeks ago. With something that happened that long ago, we would need to focus an article now on some specific event that has taken place within the past day or two, and cover the larger story as context/background to that focus (using an inverted pyramid). --Pi zero (talk) 12:08, 31 July 2015 (UTC)Reply

Thank you Pi zero, I understand. I noticed what you say when I wrote it, but since the news in Italy come out only starting from the 25th of July and the situation is still in fast evolution, I had decided to focus on the main event. I don't write since so long on wikinews, I'm sorry. So, now I'll try to rearrange the article focusing on a more recent event - even though it could be a less important one. --Mattia Luigi Nappi (talk) 15:04, 31 July 2015 (UTC)Reply
Edited and moved: Local municipalities in Italy ask taxes to religious schools
Reminder: when you believe it is ready, submit it for review. --Pi zero (talk) 16:37, 31 July 2015 (UTC)Reply
  • I've been working on reviewing the article. A specific point that puzzles me is that the new tax law seems to have gone into effect in 2012, whereas the article keeps saying 2014. I'm reluctant to just change something like that, when I'm working through automatic translators and inter-language dictionaries. Can you explain/confirm what's going on with that date?

    I've left notes on the article talk page about the parts I haven't yet verified (I have to take a break from the review, atm). Any assistance you can offer, regarding which facts come from which sources, would be appreciated. --Pi zero (talk) 20:00, 1 August 2015 UTC)

I understand your difficulties. I'll be able to help you in about 8h, thank you again. --Mattia Luigi Nappi (talk) 20:38, 1 August 2015 (UTC)Reply
Published. Review comments; history of edits during review. --Pi zero (talk) 23:42, 2 August 2015 (UTC)Reply
Thank you! ;) I'll look all the edits in order to reduce the work of revision next times. --Mattia Luigi Nappi (talk) 05:20, 3 August 2015 (UTC)Reply