Getting journalist students to Wikinews

On Wikimedia projects, author credit is only given in the history tab. For most of the projects that makes perfect sense, because pages have lots and lots of different authors coming in at different times. However, for Wikinews that is not the case. Most of the time, articles on Wikinews are written by just one person, and then copy-edited and published. Not often does a Wikinews article actually have several authors.

Now, we know there are lots and lots of journalist students out there – and from what I gather from various TV series and movies, they are all “dying” to get their name “on print”. So why not let them do that on Wikinews? It does not have to be obtrusive; a mockup of what it could look like can be found here.

With Wikinews getting coverage in Google News, student journalists will probably be even more eager to get their name out there, and more inclined to join Wikinews. Sure, it’s working for free, but it gives you publicity. And all of these students are a vast resource that could multiply Wikinews’ coverage – the way I see it, the chance is too good to miss.

The goal of Wikinews

I’ve been thinking a bit about Wikinews lately, and about what it should aim for – what its goal should be.

I do not think Wikinews can be a serious contender to the traditional news outlets in the foreseeable future. For that there are just too few people involved with Wikinews. In an ideal world the project would have contributors everywhere, ready to write when something happens in their region. However, as we all know, this world is far from ideal.

Mainstream news is just not what makes Wikinews great – news on the Beijing Olympics and the upcoming US election I can get elsewhere, more complete and more updated.

I believe the goal of Wikinews should be what we could call “alternative” news. News that are interesting, but are not usually reported in traditional media. Stories like the one on Canadian cities wanting to ban bottled water, or the U2 fan who was ordered to destroy his CDs. I believe stories like those are the most important ones for Wikinews.

Of course, Wikinews should not stop focusing on mainstream event – they are producing a lot of good material there as well – but I believe the key to getting more readers to Wikinews is to have stories like those. Unique, interesting stories that people don’t get in their usual news &ndsah; that’s what’s crucial.