[Foundation-l] Wikinews is giving out press credentials

Fri Nov 11 16:41:57 UTC 2005

On 11/11/05, Daniel Mayer <maveric149 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> --- Delphine Ménard <notafishz at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 11/11/05, Daniel Mayer <maveric149 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > In short, you're saying that this (from meta):
> > "This accreditation process is overseen by the Wikinews community,
> > though the **Board of Trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation have
> > overall responsibility for the system**. In order to use the term
> > "Wikinews" (a trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation) on **press
> > badges**, approval of the process by the Board must be sought. This is
> > done by submitting a summary of the Accreditation policy of the
> > Wikinews edition seeking approval in English to the
> > board at wikimedia.org address.
> >
> > The criteria for accreditation will be documented on the relevant
> > editions on Wikinews. **The Board may at any time revoke the
> > accreditation of any Wikinews user, or even revoke approval of the
> > project's accreditation process**."
> >
> > ...does not make the Foundation liable (my **tagging**)?
>
> That is a very good point. The policy needs to be rewritten to say that the
> foundation is not accrediting the individuals, it is just giving those
> individuals who have gone through a community-run and board-approved process
> permission to use the Wikinews name and logo on press badges.

But you don't need permission to use the Wikinews name and logo on press badges.

> To be even more
> clear those badges should have a disclaimer on them saying that the foundation
> is *not* vouching for that person's credentials and accepts no responsibility
> for anything that person does.
>
Wikimedia and indeed the reporter emself rarely have any control over
what is printed on a press badge in the first place.

> In fact, it may be safer (at least clearer) to drop all mention of
> accreditation or credentials. Just use a different word for it like "community
> approved Wikinews reporter" or something like that.
>
> -- mav

And your position is that someone needs the permission of the board in
order to call themselves a "community approved Wikinews reporter"? 
That's completely out of touch with reality.

Anthony