Bulbanews:Manual of style: Difference between revisions

Bulbanews:Manual of style (view source)

Revision as of 09:24, 8 February 2009

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→‎General news style

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 * Overwriting existing images is acceptable, since Bulbanews favors the image with the higher quality, not the greater seniority. However, please avoid disputes by discussing the change with the user who uploaded the former image ''before'' uploading the new image.
-==General news style==
+==General Bulbanews style==
-* Remember the [[wp:Inverted pyramid|inverted pyramid]]. Put the most relevant and important information at the beginning of your article (your lead) and gradually work your way down to more trivial information. However, this is not a reason to make the majority of your story slop.
+* Bulbanews is written in {{wp|AP Style}}. When in doubt about abbreviations or appropriate word usage, consult the {{wp|AP Stylebook}}.
-* Do not correct quoted speech: present it as it is, adding "([[wp:sic (Latin)|sic]]) or [sic]" where appropriate; however, spelling may be corrected.
+* The [[wp:Inverted pyramid|inverted pyramid]] style of journalism is the most appropriate for the brief nature of most of Bulbanews' stories. Include the most relevant and important information in your blurb (a.k.a. lead), and include less crucial information in the body of the story.
-* Use '''bold''' (<code><nowiki>'''bold'''</nowiki></code>) for strong emphasis, instead of spelling words completely capitalized.
+* Stories '''must''' include credible sources. These are to be presented as links at the end of the article under the headline '''Information'''.
+* Do not correct quoted speech: Present it as it is, adding "([[wp:sic (Latin)|sic]])" where appropriate to indicate incorrect spelling or grammar. However, spelling may be corrected.
+* Use '''bold''' (<code><nowiki>'''bold'''</nowiki></code>) for strong emphasis. '''Do not''' spell words completely capitalized.
 * Song, movie and episode titles are ''italicized''.
-* Pictures are good; they attract readers and pique their curiosity.
+* Keep your opinion out of what you write unless it is a column or editorial. Avoid opinionated words — articles must convey a neutral tone.
-* For news articles, watch use of opinionated words, such as "gracefully", unless you quote a source with them. Also, instead of writing "He was grateful," write "He said he was grateful."
+* Use a spell-checker to catch large errors, but a spell-checker will not catch incorrect use of "there," "their" and "they're," and a grammar-checker may or may not catch mistakes such as typing "nest" instead of "best."
-* Spelling and grammar checkers are aids, not substitutes for proofreading. A spell-checker will not catch incorrect use of "there," "their," and "they're," and a grammar-checker may or may not catch mistakes such as typing "nest" instead of "best."
+* A tagline is a brief, single statement that summarizes or states a major fact from your story. It is meant as a subhead to the article's main headline and should not include the same information as the headline.
-* When in doubt, ask an editor or consult the [[wp:AP Stylebook|Associated Press Stylebook]] or [[wp:Webster's New World Dictionary|Webster's New World Dictionary]], both which dictate news style.
+* A blurb consists of the first several sentences of your story, quickly informing the reader the "who, what, where, when and why" of your story. It is your lead in most cases.
-* A tagline is a brief, single statement (it can be a sentence fragment and does not require a period at the end) that summarizes or states a major fact from your story. It is ''optional''.
-* A brief consists of the first several sentences of your story, quickly informing the reader the "who, what, where, when and why" of your story.
 * Use Bulbapedia links as often as they are appropriate (most of the time). Wikipedia links are helpful for unfamiliar, non-Pokémon terms.
-* '''Objectivity and fairness are vital.''' Keep your opinion out of your article unless you are writing a review or editorial! A new Pokémon game should not be described as "exciting" or "boring" unless it is in a direct quote from someone else.
+* Avoid exclamation points unless they are from a written direct quote.
 * We are not held accountable to any sort of corporation, such as Nintendo or Game Freak. We are not their cheerleaders or advertisers. It is one matter to inform the public of a new product of interest, but quite another to tout its benefits or provide links to where the readers can purchase it.