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Wikinews talk:Original reporting
From Wikinews, the free news source you can write!
Contents
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Historical discussion
What criteria are we going to use for original reporting? Anything that might make the town's rag newspaper, or events of more than local significance?
- Thanks for asking. I'm wondering how to apply this policy as well. I'm looking for some constructive examples of original reporting that are within reach of a "citizen journalist".
- If Wikinews is to qualify as "the press", original reporting has to be in the mix, otherwise isn't Wikinews just a blog or a news aggregator with no real news product of its own?
- However, I'm somewhat at a loss as to how I could obtain an interview with anyone who has recently done something noteworthy enough for a national or international audience. Why should anyone in such a position give an amatuer reporter the time of day?
- As for witnessing something extraordinary to provide a firsthand account, the odds of that seem fairly low. I saw an SUV flip over and create a big accident on the interstate the other day, but that's about the most noteworthy thing I've personally witnessed since the big march up in San Francisco around the time the Iraq war started.
- Also, NPOV would seem to exclude any original "research", wouldn't it?
- On a more positive note, I like the "Science news column" idea. Could the "column" concept be extended to reporting about technical breakthroughs demonstrated by local companies, or as seen at a convention? Of course, there is a line in the sand between "big picture" tech reporting versus the easier path of rewriting new product announcements and press releases masquerading as objective news reports. A number of tech news outlets are guilty of sometimes taking the latter path for a variety of reasons.
- I want to contribute original reporting, but I need some specific examples of original reporting by a citizen journalist that I can try to emulate.
- — DV 12:11, 10 Jan 2005
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- Here is an example underway: I have taken two media releases with conflicting points of view, and tried to obtain clarification for the actual situation by emailing a government minister's department. So far they haven't had time to reply, if they never reply, the story may end with 'The minister declined to comment.' or something similar. But I hope this demonstrates that it's easy to generate new material for articles without even leaving your desk. ;)
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- I have started documenting possible policy/guidelines for authors at Wikinews:Original reporting.
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- Regarding scope of articles that should be published here, personally I encourage any article which is likely to get readers or new authors/ors onto the site. The internet is infiniate in scope, why should Wikinews be any different?
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- Don't underrate the popularity of your own home basketball team or whatever it is that interests you. And don't underrate the willingness of others to help you develop an interesting article - we will demand it! But unless you post, we don't know you are interested in writing. Even if you can't see anything greatly interesting about your chosen topic, if you just get started, people will often ask interesting questions that give you ideas.
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- Not many people have ever seen a car flip on the highway! And you can always look up local notice-boards for activities that other people are doing, and cover those. Just go along with a camera and a notebook, and even if you're scared at first to talk to people, you can give an outsider's view, which is what most of us are to most events, so instantly you have resonance with your audience. ;) Simeon 12:38, 10 Jan 2005
- The other option is to write about thinks you're at the source of. Like posting a press release to the wikipedia. This keeps the barrier to entry low, though it doesn't qualify as NPOV without some reviewing/rewriting. 192.44.76.8
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What does Original Reporting require?
I'm a little confused to exactaly what original reporting requires. Must you get an interview for it to be original reporting? There's a lot of news that happens on the web, and I think we could be in a great spot to get in on that. News for Google has released its next big thing, or that Paris's next great video can be found on creative commons. Its still news, and the reporting would be original in that we're not getting it off other people's reports.
The other confusion is if you use websites as reference material. I'm currently working on a story on a rocket launch that will happen at cape canveral this afternoon. As part of the story, I had to look at the builder of the rocket's website and the user of the satellite's website. Neither of these are other news services, so is that original reporting? How about if I get information off a press relase on one of the above mentioned sites? Is reporting on something given in a press release original?
Finally, when this thing goes off, I'm going to watch the webcast and take notes. Its a webcast with an anchor, but I wouldn't call it a news service since it's a commercial webcast. Teeks99 18:13, 10 Mar 2005
- This is my personal interpretation of original reporting, but in my opinion original reporting involves collecting information first-hand about a specific news item, integrating and organizing the information, and writing it up.
- Using your example of the rocket launch, source material is part of the research for an article. Using a press release as a source can also be a part of original reporting. You should also consider reference materials such as books, journals, and other traditional references. Multi-media sources, interviews, and e-mails are all additional resource you may want to consider.
- There is a convention at Wikinews to consider supporting material in three forms: Sources, which are material which might move/change from the time the article is published , References which are fixed and can be cited precisely , and Notes which are source documents . All three may be used to support original reporting. - Amgine 19:01, 10 Mar 2005
- I think Original Reporting means incorporating material that you got from some source other than something that was published. A company web site, a press relesae, a book — all are published and should appear in sources. However, if you talk to someone, are an eyewitness to something, read something that is not directly verifiable via the web or a book store or a magazine stand, you're doing original reporting.
- In your case: watching a webcast could be original reporting if the webcast is not archived and others can't watch it and verify that what you reported was correct. If it's archived, it's probably not original reporting under my definition, at least. I suppose in some cases the lines are fuzzy. -- IlyaHaykinson 19:09, 10 Mar 2005
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- One thing that really strikes me me when looking at the wikinews frontpage right now is that almost all the articles are about goverments doing this or that. I think it is really important to always try to get the "human interest" angle on all stories where this is appopriate, and try to focus on how you and I change the world, opposed to what George does. I would recomment reading or listening to some of Robert Zinns stuff, like "Howard Zinn - A People's History of the United States", where he always twist historical moments and turns to focus on the individual . This really makes the stories hit the reader harder, and explains why this particular piece of news is important. -- Mskogly 21:47, 2 april 2005
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Creating original reporting resources
We should begin building both a collection of tutorials and a selection of useful online learning resources and tools.
These need to go somewhere else, not hidden on a discussion page like this. I can't do it right now, but someone please do. - Simeon 05:27, 7 Apr 2005
- I've copied most of them to the project page, at least until a better spot is found. Maurreen 17:11, 7 Apr 2005
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Complete resources
There are actually quite a few sites which address journalism en toto. Here are a selection which Wikinews contributors find useful:
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Interviews
How tos, tips and tricks, tools to sharpen your interviews and make them more effective:
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Copyright Issues
The article says, "Because Wikinews content is public domain , you should advise all correspondents that you wish to publish their replies, and can they please agree to publish them in the public domain. Ask in advance, because it's polite, and it's not easy to persuade someone after they spill the beans!". I understand that would apply for written interviews, but that is not necessary for verbal ones. I believe that for something to be copyrighted, it must be put into fixed form, rather than merely spoken. What do others think? Superm401 17:40, 12 July 2005
- I agree. That section of the policy needs to be changed. Direct quotes from people are not copyright infringements - the government uses quotes in their documents all the time. -- NGerda 17:42, July 12, 2005
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Authorship / Blasphemy / Idea
Perhaps for original reporting, it would be appropriate to retain the original author's name with the article. The other wikinewsies would then act as ors / commentors / etc., as usual. It would, of course, need to be clear that the named author still agrees to all the normal wiki non-copyrighted stipulations. This would allow several things: 1) something of a glory incentive for reporters who get a scoop, and 2) a contact and name if the original reporting is suspect. News outlets could remove the author's name later if they wanted . ~Alan G., Aug 10.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Wikinews_talk:Original_reporting"
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