Welcome to Wikinews

A nice cup of coffee for you while you get started

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, Oceanflynn! 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.


-- 01:39, 19 November 2011 (UTC)

Hi

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Saw the page you created. There are some things you need to know, to get started here. I suggest reading first Wikinews:Pillars of writing, which is a compact overview of things; it shouldn't take long at all to read through, though you might find yourself going back to it later because there really is a lot packed into it. Then you could take a look at either the tutorial at Wikinews:Writing an article, which is quite good, or there's Wikinews:Article wizard (although, sadly, atm the article wizard isn't interactive, so you just have to take notes till you get to the end where there's an article creation form). --Pi zero (talk) 17:10, 8 October 2018 (UTC)Reply

Thanks Pi zero (t · c · b)! I have been reading various help pages as I go. These look very useful. As you know with our first attempts, we think we understand but mistakes are made... Please continue with your very helpful comments and suggestions.Oceanflynn (talk) 17:17, 8 October 2018 (UTC)Reply
I've reviewed the article. Unsurprisingly (your first, after all!), it's not ready for publication as-is; fortunately, the story is quite fresh atm (it's always a good idea to leave as much time as possible for the review process, as well as being, of course, just plain desirable to report news when it's as fresh as possible). Please see my review comments (I added another bullet after submitting my review), and history of edits during reivew. --Pi zero (talk) 23:40, 8 October 2018 (UTC)Reply

Left you a question at the talk page of the article. --Gryllidamsg/chat 02:08, 9 October 2018 (UTC)Reply

Congratulations on your first news report, Oceanflynn

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Thanks for your hard work writing about this important report from the UN.

Hello Oceanflynn,

This was quick and accurate, with collaboration.

For such an important and controversial topic, in the report, you have succeeded at presenting a concise and balanced report.

This is fabulous. I really appreciate it. Here is a barnstar for you.

Please keep up the great work.

--Gryllida (chat) 22:45, 11 October 2018 (UTC)Reply

Thanks so much for the Barnstar! This rapid, collaborative real-time process was one of the most exciting, encouraging and uplifting (in spite of the topic of the article) in my years on Wikipedia, Wikimedia, etc. Thank you Gryllida (t · c · b) and Pi zero (t · c · b)

Hi. The lede needs trimming, which alas is too invasive an operation for me to take care of as an independent reviewer. --Pi zero (talk) 21:57, 25 November 2018 (UTC)Reply

Sorry about the confusion with the talk page; I'd moved the article without leaving a redirect, evidently while you were adding a comment to the talk page, and the wiki didn't give you any warning because the page didn't exist. (If I'd left a redirect, you'd have gotten an edit conflict when you went to save.) --Pi zero (talk) 00:19, 27 November 2018 (UTC)Reply

Re: NCA4 2018

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Hi Oceanflynn,

Left several remarks here:

Please act on those of them which look reasonable to you, as soon as possible.

Today is the last day this article could possibly be published (1), and we need to leave extra time for the review.

--Gryllida (talk) 05:05, 26 November 2018 (UTC)Reply

Hi Gryllida (t · c · b). I have just opened Wikipedia here. Is it too late? 18:48, 26 November 2018 (UTC)Reply

(talk) I have made the suggested changes. Thanks Gryllida.Oceanflynn (talk) 20:09, 26 November 2018 (UTC)Reply

Happy New Year, Oceanflynn

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Wish you the liveliest and bravest things in the new year, Oceanflynn. May you win over the media bias and figure out what's happening and relevant these days. --Gryllida (talk) 00:50, 1 January 2019 (UTC)Reply

Gryllida (t · c · b), I think I will make myself a T-shirt with this delightful message. I wish you the same.Oceanflynn (talk) 03:53, 1 January 2019 (UTC)Reply