[ComProj] Wikinews accreditation via chapters

[Martin Peeks]

I have just posted the text at the end of this message to Wikinews'
watercooler (equivalent of village pump).

I'm really looking for input here - use the list to keep us up to date
with what you're doing if you choose to get involved with this project!
 So, I'll start with this: who's interested in helping?

A quick brief:

Wikinews is like Wikipedia, but for news.  It runs well, and embraces
original reporting (OR) performed by contributors.  This can take the
form of interviews, attending events, or many others.  In order to
secure such opportunities, contributors need to show themselves to be a
member of a tangible organisation - hence the accreditation system was
set up [[n:WN:AP]].  The community votes on who to certify as a Wikinews
reporter, and when they pass such a vote, users are sent press papers.
These papers can then be used to show that a user does have a real
reason to interview someone/attend an event as press.

In many cases, these press papers are needed to obtain press passes for
individual events (such as G8, to which a Wikinews reporter was able to
go).  Currently, the origin of the press papers can seen to be in the
USA, with that being the home of WMF (although WMF doesn't do the
accreditations!).

The idea of this project is to encourage the local chapters to take a
role in this accreditation process by providing local papers and helping
to get places for people at specific events, as well as to build up a
community and start to provide a decent use for the chapters themselves!

ComProj members who want to be involved will probably be helping to
formulate a process involving chapters, which can be spread out to them
all, and, if they wish, can get involved in having their chapters
support the system (by becoming the "nominated body" (or something) for
Wikinews in their chapter).  Of course, like anything with ComProj -
it's up to you how little or how much you do!

OK - that brief wasn't so "quick", but I hope it gave you a good idea of
what we're getting at here.  I'll start a list of those involved with
myself on it :).

Interested members:

Martinp23 - Will help with all stages (and is trying to organise the
sub-project :-)).  Can liaise with wikimedia-uk, and be the contact there.


Please remember - you can do as much or little as you want.  It'll help
me if you can express your interest to me either on list or elsewhere,
so I've got an idea of who wants to help :-).

I'll put something on meta either tonight or tomorrow, depending on how
much of an insomniac I am tonight :P

Thanks,

Martin

<letter>
== Accreditation via chapters ==

Tonight, during the weekly [[m:ComProj|ComProj]] meeting
([[m:Communication Projects Group/Meetings/2007-07-03|log]]), I brought
up the suggestion that we (ComProj) could help to get chapters to assist
in accreditation.  The advantages of this are:
# Stronger local community
# A real purpose for the chapters
# Many more journalism and press-pass related opportunities
# Probably some others I don't know about

I'm post here to seek your ideas on what we (Wikinews) want from such a
system.  I'll relay messages left here to the ComProj mailing list, and
vice versa - ComProj will be able to help to set up a system, and
publicise it to the board and the various chapters and other related
groups.  Any thoughts? [[User:Martinp23|Martinp23]] 22:29, 3 July 2007 (UTC)

:Some thoughts brought up in the meeting were:
:* Identity verification may need to take place, ideally coordinated by
chapters
:* This is a massive opportunity for all
:* (Nominated bodies in) chapters can try to liaise with govt.
organisations to get passes to government events, for national press passes
:Much more - read the log :).  I realise that I'm replying to my own
message, but wanted to separate this from my short introduction.  So,
let's thrash out some ideas! [[User:Martinp23|Martinp23]] 22:29, 3 July
2007 (UTC)

</letter>


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