[Foundation-l] Wikinews is giving out press credentials

Fri Nov 11 16:52:01 UTC 2005

Daniel Mayer wrote:
> 
> 
> --- Jean-Baptiste Soufron <jbsoufron at gmail.com> wrote:
>> … 
>> And this leads to my third and more important point. Accreditating 
>> people will transform the Foundation from being a publisher to becoming 
>> an editor... which means that we will now be liable for any content 
>> written on the website by anyone else.
>>
>> Are you sure that the Foundation is ready to become liable for anything 
>> written on Wikinews ?
>>
>> If yes, I think this would be a major change of the Foundation policy.
> 
> Let me be clear. The foundation *would not* be accrediting anybody. Period. All
> the foundation would do is give permission for those people who have gone
> through a *community run* and accreditation process to use the Wikinews name
> and logo on press badges. 

Let me be clear. Press unions, officials and plaintiffs will defend the 
idea that giving "permission for those people who have gone through a 
community run and accreditation process to use the wikinews name and 
logo on press badges" is exactly the same thing than accreditating these 
people... period.

The means of this accreditation has nothing to do with it : a press 
accreditation is a press accreditation. Whether it is community-based or 
centralized. The Foundation will be described as a press editor 
accreditating its members, with all the implied obligations within !

The Foundation could argue against it, but I don't know whose story a 
judge would buy !

And from my legal point of view there is much opportunity that the 
Foundation would be found liable.

Are you sure that's what we want as of today ?

And as I said... that would mean that the Foundation would now be liable 
for all of the Wikinews content !

Jean-Baptiste Soufron, Legal Officer