Wikinews:Paralympic Games

Wikinews will have two IPC credentialed reporters at the 2012 Summer Paralympics. These reporters are LauraHale and Hawkeye7. The opening ceremony is on 29 August and the Closing ceremony is on 9 September, with sporting events running every day between.

Why the success of this matters

Doing a good job at the Paralympics opens doors for more Wikinewsies accessing, and covering, major international sporting events. Successfully publishing a substantial amount of original reporting makes it easier to attempt to get access to the 2014 Commonwealth Games, 2014 Winter Paralympics, 2014 Summer Youth Olympics, and 2016 Summer Olympics. Doing poorly would close doors for us and reflect poorly on those representing the project at this year's Paralympic games. Success for Wikinews will also translate into success for Commons photographers and Wikipedia contributors who want to cover the Games live.

Goals

Wikinews

Whilst in London covering the Paralympics, the goal will be to publish one to three pieces of Original Reporting per day throughout the course of the Paralympics. While doing an original reporting test run of technology planned to be used to cover the London Paralympics at a wheelchair basketball event in Sydney, we were able to submit 10 articles in 3.5 days, with seven of them being published within 24 hours of being submitted. Thus, one to four original reporting articles per day should be feasible.

Wikipedia

The primary focus of the accredited reporters will be doing Original Reporting for Wikinews. In the lead up to the Games, one of the related goals was to improve articles about Australian Paralympians as a form of background research for Wikinews in advance of the Games and to have supplemental information for Wikinews articles. While there are very clear Wikinews reporting goals, Wikipedia contributors can assist on that project by improving 2012 Paralympic Games articles, taking them to DYK, taking them to Good Article, and providing on article links to relevant Wikinews articles.

Story types

After having talked to people who have reported from the Paralympics, the following three types of stories will likely be written:

1. Event results;
2. Event results using an athlete storyline; and
3. Athlete profiles.

Each of these stories has relative merits. The first type are the easiest to write and verify. The last type require setting up interviews and arranging media access through the Australian Paralympic Committee. The middle type is the one that will be the primary focus of the on-the-ground reporters. It means attending events and the followup press conferences.

Events

As the reporters are representing Australia, most of the thinking about events to cover will be based around Australian performance. Event selection will also be chosen based on areas where there may be less traditional media coverage, events Australians are competing in and personal interest of the reporter in an event. It will also be dependent on the schedule.

Note: It may be possible to allow a Wikinewsie other than LauraHale and Hawkeye7 into the Paralympic Media Centre. This needs to be in arranged in advance and will require a background check. Please check the press guide found in dropbox and sent to the scoop list for additional details.

Schedule

24 August

• Laura arrives in London and heads to the press village.

25 August

• From the media guide: Press will be allowed into the residential zone by requesting a residential zone guest pass through their NPC. In addition, there will be two opportunities for the media to tour the Paralympic Village on the afternoons of 25 and 26 August 2012.
• Wikinews workshop.

26 August

• From the media guide: Press will be allowed into the residential zone by requesting a residential zone guest pass through their NPC. In addition, there will be two opportunities for the media to tour the Paralympic Village on the afternoons of 25 and 26 August 2012.
• Hawkeye7 arrives in London and heads to the press village.

27 August

• Meet with APC representative at hotel at 8:00 for coffee
• Daily briefing 14:00 will be first daily briefing at the MPC with LOCOG chairman Sebestian Coe and Sir Philip Craven MBE there.

28 August

• British Library: Ross will meet WiR at British Library at 11am.
• Classification workshop: It starts at 11am. Laura will attend.
• Daily briefing: 11:00 at the MPC.

29 August

• Opening Ceremonies: This costs money to attend and spaces are limited so it is unlikely reporters will be able to attend.
• Daily briefing: 11:00 at the MPC.
• Welcome media: Sebastian Coe will host an official welcome at the Main Press Centre at 16:00.

30 August

• Daily briefing: 11:00 at the MPC.

1 September

• Daily briefing: 11:00 at the MPC.

2 September

• Daily briefing: 11:00 at the MPC.

3 September

• Daily briefing: 11:00 at the MPC.

4 September

• Daily briefing: 11:00 at the MPC.

5 September

• Daily briefing: 11:00 at the MPC.

6 September

• Daily briefing: 11:00 at the MPC.

7 September

• Daily briefing: 11:00 at the MPC.

8 September

• Daily briefing: 11:00 at the MPC.

9 September

• Daily briefing: 11:00 at the MPC.

10 September

• LauraHale and Hawkeye7 head back to London.

Original reporting

Given the fast paced, breaking news being written over a sustained period of time, a dropbox folder has been created to facilitate sharing of notes, video, audio and other materials to be used in original reporting. If you would like access to this folder, please contact LauraHale with an e-mail address she can use to give you access to on dropbox. Beyond the original reporting being done directly on Wikinews by LauraHale and Hawkeye7, these materials can be used by other reporters on Wikinews to write original reporting, or original reporting combined with synthesis reporting, to write about the Paralympics. Any and all original reporting using notes and materials provided by the reporters on the ground will be appreciated.

At the event stadium, after the media broadcasters have had an opportunity to interview Paralympians following their event, print journalists like Wikinews may have the opportunity to interview competitors. These interviews would last no more than three to five minutes and need to be arranged with the local media person and the Paralympian needs to be willing to be interviewed. This will allow for an opportunity to do original interviews.

If you are new to Wikinews, please read Wikinews:Original reporting, Wikinews:Style guide and Wikinews:Content guide to get an idea of how to write a Wikinews article.

Pictures and other media

The International Paralympic Committee is not allowing pictures to be taken and licensed other than non-commercial. This license is incompatible with Commons! Thus, all pictures used on articles will require local upload to Wikinews and a short fair use rationale drafted. These pictures and videos will either be uploaded by LauraHale and Hawkeye7 to Wikinews as needed, or be made available in dropbox for other original reporting work.

The Australian Paralympic Committee will be sharing some pictures via a CC-BY-NC license. Pictures can be taken outside venues and in public areas in London can be taken with any license we chose. Sound recordings of interviews can also be made inside the events and be shared using a CC-BY license as the CC-BY-NC license is only for stills and moving pictures.

The following is from the press guide and relates to material relevant here:

I hereby acknowledge and agree that: (a) any photographs taken by me at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, including those of athletes competing within any Paralympic Venue, will be used in news services for still photographic editorial purposes only; and (b) the use of such photographs for advertising or any other commercial purpose, in any medium or in any manner whatsoever, is expressly prohibited by the IPC, unless the prior written consent of the IPC is acquired; and (c) the dissemination of moving images or sound captured in a Paralympic venue, through any media, including display on the internet, mobile platform and other interactive media or electronic medium, is strictly prohibited.

The above is for people who have photography accreditation. It should be noted, the accreditation type for our reporters is journalist.

Social media

Accredited reporters are allowed to use social media at the Games to Tweet about their activities. It might be worth creating a Wikinews Foursquare account for this purpose. Another issue is if these updates on Twitter should come from LauraHale's personal account or Wikinews's account.

Reviewing

Because the goal is to publish one to three original reporting stories a day, there is a very real need to have several approved reviewers available to review articles. If you can commit to reviewing articles during the Paralympics, please put your name below. If you do not have reviewer rights but can comment on collaboration pages regarding original reporting notes supporting text, neutrality, following the manual of style AND/OR make changes to articles to speed the reviewing process along by fixing errors in those area, please do sign up in the copyeditor section. Assistance is appreciated. We cannot do this successfully with out support from Wikinews' reviewers.

Reviewers

1. --Brian McNeil / ^talk 08:39, 17 July 2012 (UTC)
2. --Patrick M (TUFKAAP) (talk) 05:32, 22 July 2012 (UTC) (part-time due to working hours)

Copyeditors

1. --Bddpaux (talk) 03:55, 17 July 2012 (UTC)
2. --Brian McNeil / ^talk 08:39, 17 July 2012 (UTC)
3. --Patrick M (TUFKAAP) (talk) 05:32, 22 July 2012 (UTC)
4. —Lihaas (talk) 08:39, 17 August 2012 (UTC)