On Thu, Jul 23, 2009 at 9:52 PM, Brian McNeilbrian.mcneil@wikinewsie.org wrote:
Wikinews can take interviews how it wants, I wish I could read the sr. interview. We're already known for saying, "Wikinews is not paper" - that in itself is an invitation to have lengthy interviews, and to not cut off or cut short answers.
Interview is a little bit dry, but very interesting to me. The questions and answers are in the next form: "What is Djavolja Varos?" "<a precise geological explanation which may be read by one relatively educated person>". Answers demystify popular position of DjV in Serbia as "a miracle".
We can't pay experts, so we can't get really notable people talking to us. I can understand then that final year students, or those working towards a PhD would make ideal 'near-experts'. I wouldn't let them drive the process as it could become too dry and technical, it needs the non-expert input to keep the content grounded where a majority of people can understand it.
Being an expert in some field (in the journalist sense) is not a big deal. I may guarantee that all Wikipedians educated in some field are good enough experts for any kind of newspaper, television and so on.
And, yes, we should work to improve their language from dry to interesting to the wider audience.
I'd certainly be interested in a geneticist's take on H1N1 Swine Flu. We never get told how likely it is to mutate before the next northern hemisphere flu season - and even if mutation is likely to make it more deadly. Of course, you'd want a geneticist who was well-read on virus geneaology.
We have one biologist on sr.wp and I have one friend who is biochemist. I'll ask them are they willing to give interviews about swine flu.