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! 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.


This is neither a photobucket or flickr edit

Please do not treat Wikinews as your personal photo storage site.

Your uploaded images, and the category you put them in, have been deleted. There are very narrow, specific criteria for fair-use uploads here; those almost-invariably involve use of the images in news articles where they cannot be replaced with anything else. --Brian McNeil / talk 10:33, 5 January 2013 (UTC)Reply

  • Thank you Brian McNeil for your kind deletions. I was planning to start to write in Wikinews. I was trying to familiar with the Wikinews, I had/have/will have no intentions to use Wikinews as a photobucket or flicker. I get lack of original reports on India in Wikinews, most of the reports related to India are not original. I had been thinking to work for Wikinews to empower it by original reports but was very busy with publishing and editing magazines. Recently I thought I should give some time to Wikinews and try to understand how does it work! I think at present Wikinews is not very keen for original reporting from countries like India. Wikinews should try to understand that India is not a country where the ground reporters are aware with software technologies. Again I place an apology for mistakes made by me in order to make efforts to understand the Wikinews. Thank you very much. --Vivekumraoglendenning (talk) 11:12, 5 January 2013 (UTC)Reply
Technically, Wikinews functions almost exactly the same as any other wiki; it is policies, linked-to in the above welcome template, where things differ dramatically. --Brian McNeil / talk 11:19, 5 January 2013 (UTC)Reply

Your closed reviewer request edit

If you put half as much effort into asking for a privilege you've not demonstrated an ability to hold as you do into providing corroborating documents, reporters' notes et-al, then I look forward to the original reporting you've hinted you intend to write. --Brian McNeil / talk 13:39, 6 January 2013 (UTC)Reply

    • REPLY to Dear Brian McNeil

Dear Brian McNeil, thank you very much. It is very nice to see teaching as a very good habit of you with an authoritative language. I was not there to demonstrate any thing to you. I was just saying that the Wikinews should encourage original reporting. I tried to understand your understanding on journalism and editing by your comments and attitude. Wikinews is a community based project, people could become reviewer of Wikinews having no experience of professional journalism and editing. I will be very busy for new two years travelling 1,00,000 kilometers by road, organising 206 conferences, meeting various State Premiers of Indian states and talking with eminent people of the environment, water, agriculture and climate change from the known universities of the world.

I returned India after a X-mas holiday in Sri Lanka thus I started to explore Wikinews otherwise usually I do not have much time to invest in internet specially for leading-no-where discussions.
If you think, a reviewer is an evaluator of a report then you do not understand the policy of Wikinews but because it is not a physical company for professional journalism thus reviewers could enjoy insulting others.
You need to learn many things to be a good journalist. To be a controller of Wikinews is not a certificate of being a good journalist.
I take life risks to wrote reports, I spend tens of thousand US$ annually to make genuine reports. Sometime I do not visit my home for many months because I travel continuously in very remote areas having no electricity, mobile reception and accommodation. Sometime I have to sleep in the car. Do you really think you could team me the meaning of journalism?
  • ----
Please have some time to watch some videos-
I was the chief speaker in a mass meeting of more than 70,000 people in the year 2006.
I organised a mass meet of around 100,000 people after a flood disaster in the year 2007
These are the videos of the highly flood suffered villages (no one dared to visit because of the life danger but I visited).
more videos on above
  • -----
There are many works I have done as journalist and as a sensitive human being with sincerity, accountability and credibility putting my life at the death-danger. You do not need to show any arrogance, please try to be polite and try to have respect for other's genuine works on the practical ground of the society.
I welcome your comments but they should not be based on arrogance. I am not in loss by putting an effort asking privilege, I got an opportunity to know the depth of understanding of the controllers of Wikinews. Now I know who will review my original reports If I will write at Wikinews. To get privilege was not an issue but your statements, arguments, language and arrogance spoke a lot about you.
Thank you for your comments. Cheers.
I will be visting UK this year, if possible for me, I would like to meet you. If you are planning to visit India, I will be happy to host you in many states of India and you will not need to spend a single penny from your pocket.
  • ----
Please visit at Chain of 206 Conferences on Environment 2012-2014
It needs many updates but at current circumstances we cannot give too much time to update it but planning for future.
Cheers --Vivekumraoglendenning (talk) 16:26, 6 January 2013 (UTC)Reply
    • END


  • ---
It is not photo/video journalism, it is not an elite journalism which is only based on interviewing celebrities. It is a community accountable journalism on ground for the community. Maybe you cannot understand it because it needs lots of efforts, understanding on the actual ground and enthusiasm to work for the communities.
You behaved like an owner of Wikinews and used arrogant language at start, this indicates an attitude of controllership. You behave like an employer and breached a policy of Wikipedia to welcome and behave politely with newcomers to encourage community contribution.
I am in India for 7 weeks only, I will be in Sydney in March for a month to meet my family in law. I have many works to do for 206 conferences, magazines' editions publication, fund raising for conferences and continuing 1,00,000 kilometres long exclusive tour. I do not think, I have time to sit in an examination evaluated by you, without any doubt I do not need any of your certificates.
Wikinews says in its motto and fundamental principles- "We are a group of volunteers whose mission is to present reliable, unbiased and relevant news." and "Wikinews stories are written from a neutral point of view to ensure fair and unbiased reporting." This is only possible by the original reporting. It is not necessary that the reporters who write in the various newspapers are unbiased and do fair reporting.
I am planning to initiate a debate with the Wikimedia Trustees and other people to improve the Wikinews and other Wikis. I am using "future" because it depends on getting enough time to pursue these debates for a better system. Wiki says administrators are not for controlling anything or not for admin, they are facilitators if there is a need of facilitation. Maybe after 2014's international conference, I could have time for it.
It was very nice to have arguments with you though you lacked polite language and open mind attitude but it helped me a lot to understand the attitudes of the controllers of Wikinews. I am leaving my home tomorrow for various public meeting, local environment conferences and starting third phase of the tour thus am not sure when I will have an opportunity to debate in internet's virtual world.
I was having a wish to contribute in Wikinews, a community tool for community, for serious environment and climate change issues but it seems the controllers of Wikinews are arrogant have power egos on the top priority also not having good understanding of the motto and vision of Wikipedia, Wikinews and community based knowledge sources.
I do not see things subjectively, I see a good friend in you and I will be enjoying talking with you always, arguments and debates are different issues but having a friendship is a separate issue. Cheers bro- --Vivekumraoglendenning (talk) 05:52, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply

Waiting to review edit

I look forward to reviewing a Wikinews article you will write today. As you as a master and controller of journalism and a master of Wikinews's style guide, I anticipate few problems in the article as it works its was through publishing. What do you plan to write about today? --LauraHale (talk) 07:50, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply

  • ------
I did not know that reviewers are very egoist in the Wikinews. Why should I send an article to you for reviewing? I write original reporting and I know very well you do not have an understanding on the ground I write. Why should I waste my time in all of this? If you feel the Wikinews was founded for the reviewing and discouraging original reporting, please continue with your choice.
(Preface: I am first and foremost a journalist on this project. I assist by reviewing when I can.) You want to be a published author on Wikinews in order to demonstrate competency at writing and a clear understanding of the style guide. By submitting an article that can be easily passed, you demonstrate that. Conversely, you can pre-review an article submitted for publication to aid a reviewer by going through the checklist and then commenting to demonstrate knowledge of the reviewing criteria. Quite frankly, we can use more reviewers. As you are not eager to become a reporter, I look forward to seeing your pre-review assessments that will assist established reviewers in making their work easier. In this way, you can become a reviewer. --LauraHale (talk) 13:16, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply
As I understand by debating with you guys, Wikinews has only one style - copying from other sources and reporting without going into the ground reality. It is a dependent platform.--Vivekumraoglendenning (talk) 11:06, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply
The question is- why should i write today just because you are ordering me?--Vivekumraoglendenning (talk) 11:06, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply
The question is - what will be your priority (a) a reliable, unbiased and relevant news or (b) a style known as Wikinews style?--Vivekumraoglendenning (talk) 11:06, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply
You guys have already told me from the first day that I do not understand the policies of Wikinews and terminated my request. I did not oppose your decisions. --Vivekumraoglendenning (talk) 11:06, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply
Do you think, I do not have rights to reply to Brian McNeil on what he writes in my talk page on the matter of a closed issue? Do you want to say that it is the Wikinews style?--Vivekumraoglendenning (talk) 11:06, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply
If Wikinews do not encourage original reporting then there is no meaning for any style. Any style is meaningless if it does not encourage the motto and fundamental principles of Wikinews.--Vivekumraoglendenning (talk) 11:06, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply
Wikinews is not the appropriate body for professional journalism, there are many appropriate bodies for professional journalism who decide the code of conduct for professional journalism.--Vivekumraoglendenning (talk) 11:06, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply
I have told already, I am not here in Wikinews to sit in any examination of evaluation to get an employment because as I know Wikinews is an voluntary platform open to all. Today I was very busy meeting with the rape issues in India, I am writing an open public letter to Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Admi Party. --Vivekumraoglendenning (talk) 11:06, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply
I could see reports on Wikinews, mostly of them are one page synthesis reports or interviews of celebrities or report of crimes and killings. I am an unable person to write these type reports.--Vivekumraoglendenning (talk) 11:06, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply
Because you guys have been telling me using virtual bashing that I am a not good person for Wikinews. I want to make you guys happy and accept that I am a very bad person, I do not know anything on journalism and I made a big mistake by having a wish to contribute in Wikinews.--Vivekumraoglendenning (talk) 11:06, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply
I hope my above lines will satisfy egos and arrogance of power and will lead you guys to stop virtual bashing. Thank you for giving me memorable experiences at Wikinews.- --Vivekumraoglendenning (talk) 11:06, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply

┌─────────────────────────────────┘
Is this copying from another source? Or this, perhaps an interview or comprehensive coverage of medical research with intelligent questioning of experts?

You assert expertise, assert good knowledge of wiki policy; there are plenty of original reports already on Wikinews. It's the most-valued type of reporting on Wikinews. So please stop baiting people and make some valid contributions in the main namespace. --Brian McNeil / talk 11:58, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply

I think most of my work is original reporting. I do intelligent interviews with subjects. Wikinews talked about the issue of Paralympic sponsorship long before the rest of the media did. WN:NEVERASSUME is a project policy where people don't need to make assumptionson the quality of my work because it is clearly demonstrated. I'm waiting for some examples so I don't have to make assumptions about Vivekumraoglendenning's work.--LauraHale (talk) 13:16, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply
  • ----
My Dear Friends, This is my last statement in the current issue.
Maybe it seems it was a bitter experience but I am happy that I get some friends like you guys (sincerely I mean it). -- --Vivekumraoglendenning (talk) 14:47, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply


I've not been weighing in here. Honestly, I was waiting to think of something to say that might possibly be of some help to you. A few remarks.
  • It seems you may have arrived at Wikinews with two unfortunate misapprehensions about the project.
  • You may have been under the impression the reviewer privilege is relevant to getting one's own work published. In fact, it is of no value whatsoever in getting one's own work published. An absolute prohibition against self-publication is necessary to enable an open wiki to produce neutral accurate news. Even the Wikinews version of "ignore all rules" explicitly prohibits self-publication.
  • You seem to have (badly) underestimated how different Wikinews is from Wikipedia. As I recall, you actually said part of your preliminary study for Wikinews was writings of Jimbo Wales. The writings of Jimbo Wales aren't relevant to understanding Wikinews. What appears to have been lacking, in your study of Wikinews, is finding out about the project from members of its living community.
  • There is one other insight I feel may be of use to you. My own integration into the Wikinews community has been slow but smooth. I attribute this, in part, to the way I first approached the project. I started by assuming that I knew absolutely nothing about the project. That is, I approached the project with extreme humility. I'd already been a Wikipedian for (iirc) three years, and a Wikibookian for one year, and I assumed that nothing I had learned on either of those projects would necessarily help me learn to be a Wikinewsie. I also assumed that nothing I knew about traditional journalism would necessarily help me learn to be a Wikinewsie (this may have been easier for me to assume because what I knew about journalism was all about pre-internet journalism). Yes, my eventual understanding of Wikinews has integrated some of my previous experiences with Wikipedia, Wikibooks, and journalism; but I drew on those things only as my growing understanding of Wikinews called for them.
--Pi zero (talk) 16:02, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply


  • --- Thank you Pi Zero for a better reply. I am writing with points to avoid confusions and for a better understanding on me. It is long thus need a patience for reading. But I hope, it will not be waste of your time if you read it.
01- I did not have a plan to get a privilege for self-publishing. I have been publishing magazines and publish other's works but hardly published a few reports by me. I feel I am a facilitator to provide a media platform to increase classes of readers and readers for their writings and reports. I am not a decision maker, the society will decide, but I care for authenticity, reliability and unbiased-ness in reports. In my magazines I do not have limitations of words though one of my magazines is a 120 pages print magazine and I invest hundreds of thousand US$ in its production costs including travel, accommodation, copy editing, layout designing, printing, packaging, postal and administrative expenses.
02- For a common person having no corporate backup; work for genuine, authentic and reliable journalism and publication, is not an easy job. But because I feel a very high commitment to provide authentic, unbiased and reliable primary reports to the society without manipulation; I started publications spending all of my personal money. For quality control, I personally go to the fields, usually I am in the fields for 9 months in a year and I am not paid for it. Publishing and journalism is passion for me not a business or an identity. I like when local communities love me because I talk for them honestly.
03- I have been using internet for 15 years owning blogs, websites, discussion-groups, mailing-lists, clubs and social media like facebook. I own various google groups, one of them has more than 25,000 readers also own various mailing-lists varies from hundreds to tens of thousands readers.
04- Please do not mind but Wikinews is not different from Wikipedia. All Wikis are almost similar but they represent different sections like News, Travel, Dictionary etc. Because these sections have different characteristics thus they need different ways of presentation, management and publication methods. All Wikis have many limitations thus maybe in future people could deny the Wikis and the era of Wikis could end though we will work hard to make it better. We do not know many things because we have many limitations thus we should try to make best efforts for public cause as we could.
05- There cannot be things like print, CD, audio, video or internet journalism. These are the mediums for journalism. At present time internet is the cheapest and fastest medium in the world but accessed, used and trusted by a very less percentages of the world population. Maybe in future, there could be a better medium than internet.
-*- Internet does not generate reports, knowledge and sources. It is a medium. If all newspapers and media companies will sit in internet waiting for reports, will internet generate reports itself. Because there are reports and journalists write and avail them for public thus Wikinews could synthesis them to its users by using internet as the medium. If the journalists, according to you, who follow pre-internet journalism will stop to work, then from which source Wikinews will get reports to synthesis to avail its users?
Examples of the limitations of Wikinews-
01- One of my friends, who is very eminent journalist and editor in India, travels abroad to deliver lectures on journalism in universities like Harvard, Boston and others. He is one of the editors of the most credible newspapers of India. He has received many global awards for journalism and he is an icon. He has his own style of writing.
Suppose, he thinks to write in Wikinews on an issue, what will be the priorities of the Wikinews. Will Wikinews tell him to learn the Wikinews style first or will publish his article for public cause?
Note- I did not write above point to put me as an icon. It is just an example with a good intention.
02- One of my friends came to India to work for waste-management and she is making good efforts. She asked my help to suggest her some honest journalists having understanding on the issue.
Should I give preferences to publish article to support a public cause or should I give a priority to follow a style of writing?
- What will be the priority for the Wikinews, a self claimed style of Wikinews or a public cause? If a media cannot assist a public cause, there society does not need that media.
03- I put an application in Wikinews for Reviewer. It was not an offence. None of you discussed anything with me in my talk page to know me properly. You opposed a person without knowing him, without giving a thought that the person could be fruitful or harmful for the Wikinews.
I know that it is very hard for you to accept that you assumed but you did assume.
You did not make any effort to know a person. You assumed that this person is not a sincere person. Honestly, I was taking Wikinews very seriously but I found it immature.
It is hard for you to accept that rejection of my application was pre-decided thus in place of exploring the possibilities me as reviewer; the so-called evidences were explored to reject. It was not a mature behaviour.
Please trust me, I am not here to publish my own reports, per year I get opportunities to meet with around half million people in India of various regions and financial strata. I am very well aware that more than 99% indians do not know Wikinews. I came here to contribute in Wikinews, a project for citizen media.
I felt like I made a crime by applying for Reviewer when I saw line like “No hope in the hell” by an administrator. Maybe this is the Wikinews style. Do you sincerely believe, it was good? I was mere an applicant, I was not shutting down the whole Wikinews.
A polite request-

The discussions we are having now at my talk page, could have done after my application. You could have rejected my application but I could have trusted you that you do not assume. Like I cannot force you guys that I do not assume, you cannot force me to accept that you do not assume. Please please do not insult any applicant though they are not familiar with your Wikinews and Wikinews style. Please do not take my words in negative.

At last- Please feel free if Wikinews needs my assistance regarding issues of India. I am not very expert but I will try my best to provide my best assistance. Thank you for hearing me with less negativity. With sincere thanks -- --Vivekumraoglendenning (talk) 18:49, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply

Dear Friends have some time to go through with these reports edit

01- I took 2 years, 4 visits and more than 30 days visiting and meeting villagers in many villages of the field. I first published the report in 2010, and a final report in December 2011 in the networks of The Ground Report India Group.
BBC, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), CSE and other organisations visited the works after 2010. In April 2012, United Nations awarded the work with one of the best community practices in the world.
Please go through with the report, maybe you could know India better beyond the Indian big media-houses. Just for a note, Dewas was one of the most drought districts in India but now it has become a live learning centre for community water management system and local farmers are becoming millionaires. I hope you will enjoy it.

Please read it here.

You could get more reports and articles here in a special edition edited by me on Water and Agriculture. Cheers- --Vivekumraoglendenning (talk) 15:41, 7 January 2013 (UTC)Reply