Wikinews Style Guide: Mastering Headlines, Leads, and Neutrality

Ever tried to write a news story that doesn’t sound like an opinion piece? It’s harder than it looks. Wikinews is a free-content news source wiki in the Wikimedia family, distinct from Wikipedia because it focuses on current events rather than encyclopedic background. Its core promise is strict adherence to a Neutral Point of View (NPOV) while reporting breaking news. If you want your article to survive peer review and stay up, you need to nail three things: the headline, the lead, and the tone.

The Art of the Neutral Headline

Your headline is the first thing readers see, but it’s also the first place editors will flag bias. On Wikinews, a good headline isn’t catchy; it’s factual. Avoid adjectives that carry emotional weight. For instance, instead of writing "Disaster Strikes City," write "Floods Impact Downtown District." The difference seems small, but "disaster" implies a judgment call on severity that might not be supported by the body text yet.

Here are the hard rules for Wikinews headlines:

• Present Tense: Always use present tense to convey immediacy. "Earthquake Hits Japan," not "Earthquake Hit Japan."
• No Punctuation: Do not end headlines with periods or exclamation points. Question marks are allowed if the headline poses a genuine question addressed in the article.
• Subject-Verb-Object: Keep the structure simple. Who did what? That’s your headline.
• Avoid Sensationalism: Words like "shock," "bombshell," or "outrage" are banned unless they are direct quotes attributed to a specific person.

Consider this example. A novice might write: "Angry Protesters Chaos in Capital." An experienced Wikinews contributor writes: "Protests Disrupt Traffic in National Capital." The second version is verifiable, neutral, and descriptive. It tells the reader exactly what happened without telling them how to feel about it.

Crafting the Lead: The Inverted Pyramid

Once you have the headline, you need the lead. This is the first paragraph of your article, and it must answer the five Ws: Who, What, When, Where, and Why. How comes later. If a reader stops reading after the first sentence, they should still know the most important facts.

On Wikinews, the lead must be entirely sourced. You cannot speculate. If you don’t know why something happened, say "reasons remain unclear" or omit the "Why" if it’s not critical to the immediate event. Never combine multiple major events into one lead unless they are directly causally linked. If a hurricane hits Florida and a stock market crash happens in New York on the same day, those are two separate articles, not one lead.

Let’s look at a concrete comparison of leads:

Notice how the strong leads provide specific locations, times, and actions. They avoid vague words like "somewhere" or "yesterday" (which becomes outdated quickly). Use dates like "Tuesday" or "October 5" to maintain accuracy as time passes.

Mastering Neutrality (NPOV)

This is the big one. Neutral Point of View (NPOV) is a policy requiring that all content be written from a neutral perspective, representing significant views fairly and without bias. It does not mean there is no truth. It means you report what different sides say without endorsing any side.

How do you achieve this? First, eliminate loaded language. Words like "terrorist," "freedom fighter," "regime," or "activist" can carry heavy connotations. Instead, use terms accepted by reliable sources or describe the action: "militant group," "government," "protester." Second, attribute opinions. If someone says a policy is "bad," don’t write "The policy is bad." Write "Senator Smith called the policy 'ineffective.'" Let the quote do the work.

Common pitfalls include:

• Weasel Words: Phrases like "some people say" or "it is believed" are weak. Name the source. "A recent poll by Gallup shows..." is better than "Many believe..."
• False Balance: Giving equal weight to a scientific consensus and a fringe minority view can distort reality. If 97% of climatologists agree on warming, state that fact. Mentioning the 3% dissent is fine, but don’t frame it as a 50/50 debate.
• Editorializing: Never insert your own commentary. No "sadly," "fortunately," or "unfortunately." These words tell the reader how to feel.

Imagine covering a political election. A biased report might say, "Candidate X’s disastrous campaign failed to connect with voters." A neutral Wikinews report would say, "Candidate X lost the election, securing 45% of the vote compared to Candidate Y’s 55%. Analysts cited low voter turnout among young demographics as a key factor." The second version sticks to data and attributed analysis.

Sourcing and Verification

You can’t just make things up. Every claim in a Wikinews article needs a citation. This isn’t optional. If you write that a building collapsed, you need a link to a reputable news outlet or an official press release confirming it. Primary sources are best: police reports, court documents, company statements. Secondary sources like major newspapers (AP, Reuters, BBC) are acceptable when primary sources aren’t available.

When citing, use inline references. In the editing interface, this looks like `URL`. Place the reference immediately after the fact it supports. Don’t dump all links at the bottom. Readers should be able to verify each sentence as they read.

What if sources conflict? Say Source A says 10 died, and Source B says 12 died. Don’t pick one arbitrarily. Write: "Casualty figures vary, with local authorities reporting 10 deaths and international aid groups estimating 12." Then cite both. Transparency builds trust.

Structure and Formatting

Beyond the lead, organize your article logically. Start with the most important information, then move to context, background, and reactions. Use subheadings to break up long texts. This helps scanners find what they need.

Keep paragraphs short-three to four sentences max. Online readers skim. Long blocks of text intimidate them. Use bullet points for lists, such as timeline events or key statistics. But don’t overuse bullets; narrative flow is still important for storytelling.

One unique aspect of Wikinews is its collaborative nature. After you publish, other users may edit your work. They might change a word or add a source. This is normal. If you disagree with an edit, discuss it on the article’s talk page. Be polite. Assume good faith. Most edits are corrections, not attacks.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced writers slip up. Here are the top errors that get articles flagged for deletion or revision:

1. Original Research: Don’t analyze the news yourself. Report what others have reported. If you think an event has historical significance, mention that historians have noted similar patterns, citing their work.
2. Outdated Info: News moves fast. Check your facts right before publishing. If a protest ended an hour ago, update the lead to reflect the resolution.
3. Copy-Pasting: Paraphrase. Copying large chunks of text from another news site violates copyright and looks lazy. Synthesize the information into your own neutral prose.
4. Vague Attribution: "Experts say" is meaningless. Which experts? Name them or name the institution.

Think of Wikinews as a relay race. You pass the baton of information from the source to the reader. Your job is to run straight, not to show off fancy moves. Clarity beats creativity every time.

Final Checklist Before Publishing

Before you hit save, run through this quick audit:

• Is the headline in present tense and free of punctuation?
• Does the lead answer Who, What, When, Where, and Why?
• Are all opinions attributed to specific people or organizations?
• Have I removed all subjective adjectives (e.g., "beautiful," "terrible")?
• Do I have citations for every factual claim?
• Is the article structured with the most important info first?

If you checked all boxes, you’re ready. Submitting a well-written, neutral article takes effort, but it ensures your contribution lasts. The goal isn’t just to post news; it’s to create a reliable record of history as it happens.