on 11/11/05 12:54 pm, Daniel Mayer at maveric149@yahoo.com wrote:
Press Credentials¹ also has a very specific meaning in many countries and legislation of those countries and/or press union rules provide guidelines that organizations need to follow to give out credentials.
I think there is certainly a double use of the word credential that applies to both uses.
In Britain, if you join the National Union of Journalists you get a press card which is nationally recognised, you are put on a database held by the police and you are supposed to be accepted as a journalist by official state institutions including the army. To get this, by the way, you just have to be a paying member of the NUJ and while you will have been nominated there is no way for these officials to know that you are actually a good journalist working for anyone.
Now, many organisations will give out separate press credentials to those who apply, many of whom will not have an official press card. You simply need to persuade them to that you work for the person you say you are and this is usually done by the publication in question giving you an accreditation letter.
Wikinews's scheme is exactly the same as that: it shows simply that a wikinewsy is trusted by the community which in an organisation where anyone can write is vital for the organisation to build a level of credibility by producing first hand reporting.
I think for an international website, the system is as good as it can be - it doesn't make any false promises and it doesn't supercede any national laws in place, it is simply a tool for wikinewsies and press officers.
All I want are some high level safeguards built in so that the foundation can protect its good name and for the foundation to give its permission for its marks and logos to be used on press badges.
Well, can we apply to the board for approval of the system as it is and for them to say they are happy for the community to run it (or with amendments that could be discussed), with a named board member to turn to should anything get nasty?
Clare (Cmwhite)