File talk:Wikinews Guide.pdf

Comments
1. "Stories must have pictures" - while i would strongly support to have (good) pictures in articles whenever possible, i would never make a mandatory rule of it, pointing the core of news-reporting is still texting. 2. "Stories must be written in active voice" - sounds completely strange to me. Is there any example for such a restriction in other news media? 3. There is a (personal) bias to sports reporting ... 4. Online Sources should not be prohibited, instead all sources have to be provided in a suitable way if demanded by a reviewer. OK, the further-mentioned exeptions will do 5. Not mentioned first time: I'm not convinced about the pyramid concept and never would made it mandatory. What other media follow that principle?

Despite that above issues there are many good explanations. --Itu (talk) 18:07, 20 July 2013 (UTC)


 * Stories must have pictures was changed to should have pictures for the version on Commons. Active voice is per the style guide.  It can be used, but active voice should be used over passive where appropriate. "The Syrian government bombed Darth Vader's home" versus "The Syrian government was bombing Darth Vader's home".  The first sounds more factually clear and more precise. --LauraHale (talk) 17:58, 20 July 2013 (UTC)


 * (Actually, "The Syrian government was bombing Darth Vader's home" is usually poor style because it uses an elaborate tense (past imperfect?); technically, it's active rather than passive. Passive would be "Darth Vader's home was bombed by the Syrian government". :-)  --Pi zero (talk) 18:27, 20 July 2013 (UTC)

@ Itu: The guide is a general overview. It is intended as a best practices guide for English Wikinews. Pyramid style is generally required here, though some background details are frontloaded to explain why something is newsworthy. "The Syrian government bombed Darth Vader's home. Unlike previous military strikes by the Syrians, Darth Vader's home is fictional." Sport reporting can be done neutrally, by reporting facts. You can have a different point of view and still be neutral: The Jedi beat the Sith Lords 5-0 in a game played at Wembley Stadium." That is just as neutral as "The Sith Lords lost to the Jedi 0-5 in a game played at Wembley Stadium."  The subsequent presentation of the facts can then be based around the team you are focused on. "Darth Vader saved 10 shots on goal made by Luke Skywalker. Vader was pulled from the game in 91st minute he pulled a lightsaber on after Master Yoda who had just scored the Jedi´s fifth goal." --LauraHale (talk) 18:52, 20 July 2013 (UTC)