Editorial guidelines for GenevaLunch (GL) community reporters
Part one: the questions
What or who makes a GenevaLunch community?
We define this pretty loosely. Your community might be geographic or an age group. You might think it's out there somewhere but you haven't really met the people, let's say all the watch collectors or chess players or people who paint War Hammer. If you're pretty sure there are at least 10 of you who make up a community, that's fine. You have a community. Write about what goes on there.
Blogs are diaries, right? How do I write blog "news"?
Blogs are simply a form of writing that use a particular technology. Blogs are different from other web sites because they usually have the most recent entry at the top of a page and it is very easy for anyone who has posting rights to put the material up on the site. You don't have to be a technical wizard.
There are blogs with only photos, political blogs, news bulletin blogs with no editorial content and, of course, the famous diaries. GL is in fact two blogs hacked together: the official news one, with reports from journalists, and the one where you can post, the community reporting blog, which has room for several voices.
Is posting on GL going to feel like an English class?
No. Write the way you think people in your community want you to - use your own voice and language.
So can I write anything I want?
Nearly. Think of yourself as a guest in my living room. I don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable. We all have grandmothers: try the grandmother test. Would Granny be too shocked if she read this? The editor (that's me) might step in and change it. Would Granny be confused by it? The editor (me again) will probably leave it alone, figuring Granny has better things to do with her time than work out football or heavy metal music language.
I admire good writing, but I don't write that well. Also, I can't and don't want to write for people over 25.
That's fine. Invite your friends to read it and we'll let the rest of the under-25 world know.
I admire good writing, but I don't write that well. Also, I can't and don't want to write for people under 30.
We have room for you, too. A secret: the editor edits, if you need it. Journalists' articles are automatically queued so I can edit them for house style and make sure we say nothing libelous. Community reporters have greater leeway to say what they want, although I will always check the texts. If you don't feel confident about being published without someone looking at it first, we can set your pages to "moderate" and I will edit/approve them before they are published.
How often do I have to write? Every day?
Relax! We want people who feel passionately enough about their communities to write frequently, but few of us can manage daily writing. Try writing 2-3 posts, and if you then feel you can write at least 12 posts a year we'll give you a permanent pass.
Are there any rules and regulations?
Yes. There are ethical rules: the editorial policy applies at all times. You cannot use your blog to advertise or for other commercial use. If you have any doubts, contact the editor. While you can be critical, you may not defame people in your blog, and it should not be used to vent, as people sometimes do in personal blogs. Always aim for fairness and balance in your reporting.
There are writing rules, too: blogs work best when they link to other sites. Always try to think of useful links and include them. The editor will probably suggest links until you get in the habit of doing this. There is no maximum writing length, but keep in mind that few people will read anything over 800 words on a screen. Ask yourself how many people would be prepared to print out what you've written. The number is probably fewer than you think.
Web-writing tips: avoid using dashes and parentheses to set off phrases within a sentence. The eye has trouble skimming a web page when these are part of the text. Put one space and not two at the end of each sentence. Write short sentences.
GL has a house style which journalism posts follow. Community reporters do not need to use it but the editor will moderate posts for spelling to make it easier for visitors. House style is based on The Fine Line, communicating clearly in an international setting, by Ellen Wallace (editor of GL), published by The International Baccalaureate Organization, second edition 2003.
Part two: The steps to posting (blogging basics)