[WikiEN-l] Re: Press badges

[Chip Berlet]

Hi,
 
As a former board member of the Underground Press Syndicate in the U.S. I certainly agree that Wiki could issue press credentials, but it is a bit more complicated. We used to issue our own press cards to member journalists.
 
In the U.S., press credentials that allow access to situations controlled by police, fire, and other government agencies are photo ID's issued by a state agency, even though journalists are not licensed.
 
Self-generated press credentials can (and have) been abused by people just trying to get into concerts and other entertainment venues, so many venues only accept the state-issued credentials, or credentials from media outlets they recognize as major.
 
Covering breaking news with a press credential is, by definition, original research, which is not allowed on Wikipedia, and thus I am not sure that Wikipedia should be issuing press credentials. That would seem to be done more appropriately by alternative media on the political left, center, and right; then published in print or online, and then brought onto Wikipedia as a published report.
 
Wikinews, however, is a form of alternative media, and should fee free to issue press credentials to members of the Wikinews community who have a track record of regular and substantive contributions, and a willingness to recognize that they are carrying the reputation of Wikinews with them; and thus should behave in appropriate ways given local country/city media standards--even if they disagree with those standards.
 
Also, in some circumstances and some states/countries, issuing press credentials entails certifying someone as an agent, and may create an issue of liability in terms of defamation or other legal issue.
 
Cberlet
 
(aka Chip Berlet)

________________________________

From: wikien-l-bounces at Wikipedia.org on behalf of Peter Mackay
Sent: Fri 11/4/2005 6:27 PM
To: 'English Wikipedia'
Subject: RE: [WikiEN-l] Re: Press badges



> From: wikien-l-bounces at Wikipedia.org
> [mailto:wikien-l-bounces at Wikipedia.org] On Behalf Of steve v
>
> --- Nathan Reed <nathanreed at gmail.com> wrote:
> > We've had this discussion quite a bit on Wikinews -- accreditation
> > does you little good unless a press pass is also issued by whatever
> > event/organization/governmental agency you wish to cover. Some have
> > discussed a meta press corps -- would the bar be higher
> there than on
> > Wikinews? Our concept of an accredited wikinewsie is still citizen
> > journalist. This is a radical concept, of course, and I'm
> not sure the
> > world is ready to deal with it.
> > -N.
>
> A news organization, by definition, is an organized
> newsgathering entity with some degree of accountability.
> Press passes offer people some degree of authority and
> access, and likewise suggest that individuals have
> demonstrated professional credentials.
>
> Just throwing this out there: I dont see how any
> anti-credentialist organization can be in the business of
> giving out credentials.

In the same wiki-way that everything else works here. The community decides
who, based on their contributions, is able to present a professional face to
the real world and a useful contribution to Wikipedia/WikiNews. I use
"professional" here in the sense of "adhering to industry standards", rather
than "being paid for".

I don't know how it is in other countries, but in Australia journalists
aren't licensed. Anyone can be a journalist. Freelancers are common.

As noted previously, Wikipedia is gaining a certain measure of respect and
exposure in the general community. We don't need to sell our encyclopaedic
credentials, just our audience. Nobody considers tabloid newspapers to hold
to high standards of journalistic integrity, but they command wide
readerships, and their journalists find little difficulty in gaining access
to events. All we really need do is say "Google such-and such a subject" and
Wikipedia is generally in the first ten entries, so we've got that sort of
leverage to use with people who are after media exposure.

And realistically, it's a win-win situation. We get information and (most
importantly) free-use photographs, and the organisation or event gets web
exposure that they just can't buy.

Peter (Skyring)


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