Welcome

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Welcome to Wikinews

 

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.

 
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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
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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.

Tempodivalse [talk] 00:37, 14 December 2009 (UTC)Reply

Remarks on user page

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At this point in time my User page seems to be turning into a list of links relevant to SE QLD, and sources/resources I think will be valuable.
I am also going to be using my User page as an area to gather information for potential articles, before writing them up.

If anyone has any suggestions to make, feel free, as I am at the very beginnings of developing my writing interests, and could use any constructive advice I could get.


Soozlepip (talk) 07:59, 15 December 2009 (UTC)Reply

  • Somewhere-or-other there's lists of country/region-specific sources (in the Wikinews namespace). I'd note that you should avoid HTML markup in Wikicode unless absolutely needed. A <br /> can be replaced by a blank line, or you can use colons for an indent where a new line is forced with each new line you start with a colon. I am pleased to see you've got two links to WN:ARTICLE there; I note the Australian interest so, I'd suggest finding a reasonably notable Ozzie story sometime soon (that's current), dig up a couple of sources (can be Australian, or international), read them carefully, then have a go with WN:ARTICLE in a separate browser window.
I think it was Wikinews:Writing an article that I looked at, decided was so god-awful that I had to write WN:ARTICLE.
Oh, and for your first article, and to coax people into being helpful, it might be good to look for an unusual or funny story to cover and try and come up with an eye-catching title like, Toilet stolen from Queensland police HQ; investigators have nothing to go on. :-P --Brian McNeil / talk 01:42, 13 February 2010 (UTC)Reply

userspace

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Any personal collection of links, should stay in userspace (aka [[user:Soozlepip/<something>]], not [[Soozlepip/<something>]]. I moved Soozlepip/sandbox to user:Soozlepip/sandbox. Cheers. Bawolff 05:11, 14 February 2010 (UTC)Reply


Ooops! I really am learning as I go, aren't I? My apologies!

Soozlepip (talk) 05:25, 14 February 2010 (UTC)Reply

No worries. Bawolff 05:33, 14 February 2010 (UTC)Reply

This is now published. Check the history tab to see the rename and compare your version with the changes I made. I made a few comments in the review template on the article's talk page. Pretty good first article attempt; could perhaps have been done with less than four sources (always have at least two, and only cite ones you need to use). --Brian McNeil / talk 19:14, 15 February 2010 (UTC)Reply


  • Thanks for the editing and feedback Brian. I will overdo those sources. The poor kid passed away as I was piecing it together, and of course during the evening new details have emerged, but I am determined not to spend my entire life on here. Not a pleasant first article topic. Actually Aus schools are a potential source of further, deeper articles I suppose. At least I have a bit more confidence now! And the new title makes more sense, it's hard to come up with one that hasn't been done yet... —Soozlepip (talk) 22:18, 15 February 2010 (UTC)Reply

Wikimedians to the Games

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Hi. :) As you're an Australian contributor, I thought you might be interested in Wikimedians to the Games, which is an opportunity to cover the Paralympic Games as a member of the press. As you've experience writing Wikinews articles, this should give you a leg up. :) LauraHale (talk) 08:50, 31 December 2011 (UTC)Reply