WikiFur:WikiFur News


 * WikiFur News was an experimental wiki-based furry news service. Non-WikiFur-specific content (about 100 articles from Feburary 2007-December 2009) was merged with Flayrah on that site's relaunch in January 2010. This page is kept for historical interest.

WikiFur News is an extension of WikiFur to the area of journalism. It is based on many of the same concepts as the equivalent Wikimedia project, Wikinews.

WikiFur News is . ..

 * For news of all sorts. We aim for timely coverage of notable events, but we also recognize that "soft news" - profiles, interviews and other "human interest" stories - is of equal or greater interest to some. Ideally we will have a mix of both.
 * Neutral and unbiased. Our articles will cover from the view of a disinterested observer, although we may well write about the views and opinions of others. Ideally, a reader should not be able to decide where the sympathies of our writers lie.

WikiFur News is not . ..

 * Drama Awesome. Don't create articles to make a point about a person or group. If the event you wish to report on only affects or concerns the activities of one person or a very small group of people, and is mostly of interest to them or to their detractors, chances are it is not news.
 * Devoted to criticism. There are several websites that do this well already - besides, criticism almost invariably requires a non-neutral opinion. However, note that investigative journalism is welcome, when the topic is newsworthy.
 * A place for your promotion. There is a fine line between reporting news and press releases. In general, that line is crossed when you expect any tangible personal gain, or a significant intangible benefit. We do not wish to become the equivalent of a furry PHP-Nuke site (for that, see Flayrah). If in doubt, try to find some other sources that have mentioned your news. If nobody has bothered to mention it, it may not be news. Ask other editors what they think, and prepare for them to be honest.
 * A replacement for WikiFur itself. News articles are not encyclopedia articles. The manner of presentation alone will probably be quite different, let alone the content. However, just as news swiftly passes into history, WikiFur News stories may provide the material for new or improved WikiFur articles.

WikiFur News articles are . ..

 * Collaboratively edited. Like other WikiFur pages, WikiFur News is the work of many people. While there are likely to be one or more "main editors" for any particular article, the whole community has say over individual article content and overall style.
 * Original reporting, with sources where available. While some content is likely to be sourced from elsewhere, the intention is for a large proportion of our news pieces to be actively researched by WikiFur editors, both online and offline.
 * For wide distribution. WikiFur News articles are dual-licensed under both WikiFur's standard GFDL and the Creative Commons Attribution-3.0 License so that anyone can use them, as long as they mention where they came from. Derivative works may be made under one or both licenses.

WikiFur News articles are not . ..

 * Advertisements or press releases. Articles may however use them as sources when the material concerns real news.
 * Works in progress. Once published, news articles should remain relatively static. If there is a new story about an old piece of news, write a new article and link to the old one rather than update the old one.
 * Solely for your amusement. WikiFur News is meant to be taken seriously. That does not mean you can't have fun writing articles, or that people should not have fun reading them.
 * Fake news, hoaxes, or deliberate misinformation. For facetious news, please use UnNews.
 * Censored for minors. Much of what happens in furry fandom relates to mature topics, especially that which gets reported in the wider media. While we should not aim to overemphasize such stories, we cannot (and should not) ignore them either.