Wikinews-l June 2005

wikinews-l@lists.wikimedia.org

18 participants
10 discussions

That boston globe story
by Clare-Marie White 01 Jul '05

01 Jul '05

In full: http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2005/06/25/spreadin_the_n ews_1_volunteer_at_a_time/ Clare x

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Report from South Korea
by Erik Moeller 30 Jun '05

30 Jun '05

Hello all, as some of you may know, I was in Seoul, Korea, from Wednesday to Sunday to visit the OhmyNews International Citizen Reporters' Forum and give a presentation on Wikinews. Two reports on this event with lots of photos are now online at: http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/OhmyNews_citizen_reporters_meet_in_Seoul%2C_Kor… and http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/OhmyNews_forum_discusses_experiences_in_citizen… [The second one has just been posted, so it may not be quite up to snuff yet.] For those not familiar with OhmyNews, it is an extremely significant website in South Korea known literally to the entire young generation there. It popped up five years ago as an alternative to overly conservative traditional media. 80% of stories are written by "citizen reporters" and vetted by a professional staff of editors. Many people say that OMN was responsible for putting the current President in power, and indeed, he granted his first interview to OhmyNews. Behind this fairy tale, there's also the truth that there's a lot of money invested into OhmyNews. It's a for-profit endeavor, sponsored by advertising and subscriptions, and enjoys good relationships with Korean industry and politics. The "citizen reports" are often so-called "life stories", the kind of thing you would find in a blog, but edited professionally. The project has recently launched an "international" (really English, but from many different countries) edition, which it sought to boost using the International Forum. Even people who had just written a handful of stories were, with generous sponsor support, flown to Seoul to share their experiences. In my presentation ( http://www.scireview.de/temp/wikinews.pdf ), I invited the OhmyNews community to share content with Wikinews through compatible licensing, and to find other ways to collaborate, such as common communication channels. I had agreed with Jimbo on the night before on my strategy to continue these discussions privately with OhmyNews founder Oh Yeon Ho. Yeon Ho is seeking to build a "global citizen journalism alliance" and asked me what it would take for Wikinews/Wikimedia to join such an alliance. I responded that this would likely only happen if the alliance itself was a non-profit project not governed by a single entity. We also briefly discussed the issue of free content -- currently all OhmyNews content is under traditional copyright, and indeed, due to the editing process, citizen reporters lose the right to distribute their own stories in the published form. Yeon Ho didn't seem to know about free content licensing -- he had never heard of Creative Commons -- so I am going to follow up on this privately. I also hope that some citizen reporters will begin to publish their stories under Creative Commons licenses; it would be interesting to see how and if OMN reacts to that. All in all, I think it was a productive and valuable visit, and I hope that Oh Yeon Ho is serious about bringing citizen journalism projects closer together. Best, Erik

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Mainstream press adopting the WN concept? FW: New features on MercuryNews.com
by David Speakman 29 Jun '05

29 Jun '05

I go the following message - what at first looks like normal everyday spam - but in reality - it is the San Jose Mercury News - the main newspaper of Silicon Valley - and the flagship paper of the Knight-Ridder newspaper behemoth - starting what appears to be a limited form of interactive citizen journalism. -- David Speakman http://www.DavidSpeakman.com <http://www.davidspeakman.com/> 501 Moorpark Way #83 Mountain View CA 94041 Phone: 408-382-1459 -----Original Message----- From: MercuryNews.com [mailto:mercurynews_editor@esp.realcities.com] Sent: Monday, June 27, 2005 2:11 PM To: david(a)speakman.com Subject: New features on MercuryNews.com <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni1> MercuryNews.com <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni2> Mercury News M Dear MercuryNews.com subscriber, Don't just read it. Write it! We've introduced exciting new features and enhancements at MercuryNews.com <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni1> . You, the reader, can chat with our writers and sound off on everything from local restaurants to the latest video games. We're also putting a tighter focus on local news and on information you can use to plan your life, such as up-to-the-minute weather and traffic reports. Please take a look! And please give us your feedback <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni3> . * In Entertainment <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni4> and Life <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni5> & Style, you can submit your own reviews of summer blockbusters, restaurants and concerts and win prizes! Plus, talk back to our entertainment critics in our new <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni6> a+e Interactive blog. * In News, we have a brand new photo <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni7> site, complete with wallpapers and narrations by our award-winning photo staff. You can also buy <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni8> photos on the site to display in your office or home. * In July we'll have flag-to-flag coverage of the San Jose Grand Prix -- log in to read what columnists like Ann <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni9> Killion, Mark <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni10> Purdy and Tim <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni11> Kawakami have to say about the race. * Every week we offer chats with Action <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni12> Line's Dennis Rockstroh, Mr. <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni13> Roadshow, Gary Richards; Drive <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni14> editor Matt Nauman and real <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni15> estate reporter Sue McAllister. And every Tuesday don't miss our Lunch <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni16> with Sports, when columnists and reporters who cover the 49ers, Giants and Earthquakes will give you their behind-the-scenes insights into the local sports scene. * Use our weather <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni17> and traffic <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni18> pages to find the fastest way to make your weekend getaways -- and whether you'll need to pack extra sunscreen! <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni2> Mercury News M Follow the dot. It means there's an interactive feature you can take part in or find an online extra feature not available in the printed Mercury News. Stay informed this summer with Mercurynews.com <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/mni19> ! Sincerely, Regan Senkarik General Manager, MercuryNews.com SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Subscribe to our other newsletters, cancel your subscription or manage your account by visiting My <https://registration.mercurynews.com/reg/updateAccountFromEmail.do?dispatch =updateAccount&email=david(a)speakman.com&pid=393094848&sites=mercurynews,miam i> Account. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you may alsocancel <mailto:rm-0bykg7dra6uescvbfq3ekcbz91j3u33@esp.realcities.com?subject=Cancel subscription&body=Please cancel my subscription to Off the Couch: Bay Area Weekend Planner.> your subscription by email. Please do not reply to this email, as we are unable to respond to messages sent to this address. You can find answers to your questions through our online help <https://registration.mercurynews.com/reg/faqFromEmail.do?dispatch=faq&email =david(a)speakman.com&pid=393094848&sites=mercurynews,miami> . Written communications concerning this mailing may be directed to Knight Ridder Digital, 35 S. Market St., San Jose, CA 95113. <http://esp.realcities.com/a/hBCwGL5APnpdQAXbibAADHj3vL9/spacer.gif>

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Wikinews Rwanda newshut
by Erik Moeller 25 Jun '05

25 Jun '05

Besides Wikinews radio, there's another exciting development on the English Wikinews: the Rwanda newshut. http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Rwanda_newshut Every week, Wikinews chooses a new country to focus on (an idea by User:CGorman). Rwanda was picked because we have a volunteer reporter over there, Clare White. She has just submitted her first original reporting: http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/UN_reports_Rwandan_refugees_repatriated_by_force See also her Rwanda conference project at: http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/User:Cmwhite More on this in my next State of the Wiki report. On a related note, we've also recently had some OR from Iran, via Instant Messenger: http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/More_political%2C_soccer-related_unrest_in_Iran… Best, Erik

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RSS blog hack and logo problem
by TOR 19 Jun '05

19 Jun '05

As you may or may not be aware of the English Edition of Wikinews used a simple little hack to get RSS feed support for it's news releases. Namely - they use a blogspot account and add posts containing links to wikinews articles, which then appear on the RSS feed, just as normal blog posts do. See http://wikinewslatestnews.blogspot.com/ I decided to use the same workaround to get RSS support on the Polish Edition. But, seeing how the Wikinews feed looks like when compared to BBC World's (BBC feeds copy their regular page design, ours lack any design whatsoever) I though I should take a bit of a more professional approach. So I copied our monobook design and, after a few tweaks, got this: http://wikinews.blog.pl/ The major issue here is the logo. It implies that this site *is* Wikinews, which it is not, obviously. Angela proposed that we modify the logo a bit, so that it reads something like "content from Wikinews" or some such. There are two reasons I'm bothering you with this: 1) To mobilize you to improve the design of the blogspot page ;) 2) To get some feedback on the possible wording of the modified logo (obviously, the one given above is rather clumsy) and, if anybody's willing to give it a try, see some graphic realisations of it -- Best regards, TOR <tor(a)oak.rpg.pl>

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Intent to launch: Russian, Japanese Wikinews
by Erik Moeller 17 Jun '05

17 Jun '05

As per the previously noted agreement, I hereby announce the intent to set up the Russian and Japanese editions of Wikinews. Both meet the formal requirements and have translated the key pages. Should there be no specific objections, I will do so in 7 days or later. Best, Erik

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wikinews audio publicity. Someone envolved please respond
by Robin Shannon 17 Jun '05

17 Jun '05

---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2005 21:01:56 +0000 From: anne elizabeth moore <annemoore(a)independentsdaymedia.com> To: IDM(a)topica.com Subject: IDM: so help us, it's the end of radio! funded by our dedicate readers! Hey, PUNK PLANETEERS, We're running a feature in the next issue of PUNK PLANET on unlicensed and underground audio pod/broadcasting projects. And it's funded by the community! That's right, the Community-Supported Journalism fund (http://www.independentsdaymedia.com/csj/) is kicking in the big bucks for features on the hottest and hippest in podcasting, microbroadcasting, and pirate radio. Hooray for your support! And hooray for the end of (licensed) radio! Also, if you do a pod/broadcast of the unlicensed or underground variety, we'd love to get your feedback! Please fill out and return the below questions to anne(a)punkplanet.com by WEDNESDAY JUNE 15, 2005. 1. What is the name and a brief description of your project?—If it has a web presence, please list that as well. 2. What is your name and how are you identified on-air (if different)? (Please let us know if you wish to be identified anonymously in print.) 3. What do you see as the benefits to working in an unlicensed or underground pod/broadcasting environment? 4. What are the drawbacks? 5. How did you get started—was your work in this arena a response to political issues, a creative endeavor or something else? 6. What materials do you use? 7. Do legal concerns play a role in your programming decisions, and what, specifically do you fear? 8. What effect are you hoping to accomplish with your broad/podcast on the media environment? this has been a message courtesy the fine folks at www.independentsdaymedia.com. thank you for reading it. _______________________________________________ Sounds a little like us no? paz y amor, -rjs. -- hit me: <robin.shannon.id.au> jab me: <robin.shannon(a)jabber.org.au> upgrade to ubuntu linux: <http://www.spreadubuntu.org/>

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WORTNET: Translate original reporting into many languages
by Erik Moeller 15 Jun '05

15 Jun '05

Wikinews tries to summarize all the major news of the day and, in the process of doing so, will usually have to rely on existing sources. This, as I have emphasized many times, is a useful service: it can reduce bias, provide a synthesis of key facts from many different sources, and contribute to a "news commons" that can be used by anyone for any purpose, free of charge. However, the real strength of Wikinews is that we allow and encourage anyone on the planet to go out and report events that happen around them from a neutral point of view. They will almost certainly do so in their native language. Hence, I consider it essential that we *systematically* translate existing Wikinews stories containing original reporting into as many languages as possible. To this end, I have started this project: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WORTNET (Wikinews Original Reporting Translation Network :-) If you speak more than one language, please sign up as a translator. You can either actively go out and search for stories that contain original reporting, or you can wait to be notified by others to translate stories. I think this could also boost the number of stories containing original reporting we publish every day and provide a more global perspective for each of the projects. So, your support in getting this off the ground would be very much welcome. In addition to signing up, please announce this initiative in your local edition. It is also essential that each Wikinews edition has an original reporting template and category similar to this one: http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Template%3AOriginal_reporting Please help to establish consistent standards for this. This makes it possible to locate stories containing original reporting, and to clearly identify the OR component (using a "/Notes" subpage; see template). In the English version, I have also directly added a link to WORTNET, it might be a good idea to do the same in the other languages. All best, Erik

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Wikinews radio
by Erik Moeller 13 Jun '05

13 Jun '05

I am posting this to foundation-l and wikitech-l, because there is both a technical and a policy aspect here. A small but growing group of Wikinews contributors is actively making audio recordings of Wikinews stories. This effort is coordinated here: http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Wikinews:Audio_Wikinews The files are uploaded to the Commons in Ogg Vorbis format. Now, two members of this group have started to also produce a streamed version of this, which is broadcast at specific times -- effectively Internet radio. This could grow into a real independent wikiradio project which perhaps could encompass more than just news. The usefulness of realtime broadcasting for news should be obvious. The current Wikinews page is at: http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Wikinews:WikiNews_Network Now, here is our dilemma: Streaming audio in realtime requires special software. WNN currently uses ShoutCast, which is not free/open source software. It is also not hosted on Wikimedia's servers, but on the server of one of our contributors. (We have the same issue with the print edition, but I'll try to resolve this separately.) Do we want to run this on our own servers? If so, there is a free software implementation called Icecast. Would it be possible to securely set up an Icecast server for this purpose on our hardware? If we don't want to run it on our servers, should we allow it to be called "Wikinews Network", or should it use a different name? Should we set any specific limits for the project's scope beyond NPOV, or should we let it experiment freely with the format for the time being? (There was some talk about ads on the program, but I made it clear that this was absolutely impossible.) As for NPOV, a wiki-radio project might want to broadcast news *about* the wiki community; do these have to strictly adhere to NPOV (the German Wikipedia:Kurier, for example, does not)? Best, Erik

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WN status
by Tomasz Sienicki 03 Jun '05

03 Jun '05

Any comments on the following exchange from #wikinews? tsca> hi tsca> Are they any plans as to when WN switches from PD to CC? Pechorin> tsca, as soon as we lose the beta status tsca> which is when...? Pechorin> there is no set date tsca> or is this something noone knows? Pechorin> nobody knows for sure Pechorin> but, "soon, but not next week" :) tsca> see: it is nice to see WN stories used by other services. However, it would be even nicer to see them attributed to WN. Pechorin> I agree tsca> we have this section 'sources'. When an article is copied to another service, the section remains and looks like the article was produced from those sources by this service. Especially when they put their (c) on the page tsca> perhaps the beta status lingers simply because noone's made a move on the mailing list and proposed finally changing it yet? Pechorin> tsca, you can always try --[[m:user:tsca]]

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Wikinews-l June 2005