Wikipedia:In the news/Candidates/January 2006

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Archived discussion for January 2006 from Wikipedia:In the news section on the Main Page/Candidates.'

You replied before I posted my message? PedanticallySpeaking 17:58, 31 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Sorry, it was a bad copy-&-paste job. Someone had already suggested a similar item. Please scroll down a little to "Brokeback Mountain ...." -- PFHLai 18:08, 31 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ah. I did not look at the other suggestions before making mine. PedanticallySpeaking 18:13, 31 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Question to admins inside the US: Are these Muhammad drawings notable to you? If we are going to put some silly drawings on the main page, may as well put King's death up there. --CFIF 16:31, 31 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes. -Splashtalk 17:02, 31 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
This non-US admin doesn't mind seeing this international squabble with a religious/cultural spin posted on ITN. -- PFHLai 17:57, 31 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • King was an important figure in and of herself to the Civil Rights movement in the US. Her death is important to the African-American community, just as those cartoon are to the Muslim minority in Europe. Youngamerican 17:34, 31 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • But the cartoon thing has had repercussion across 3 European countries, resulted in the closure of embassies, the summoning of ambassadors, countries across the Middle East issuing condemnations, parliaments boycotting Scandinavian goods, death threats, terror deadlines, philosophical questions over the role of government in the free media and so on and on. It's an international story, of high currency in at least 7 or 8 countries. Martin Luther King is enormously famous; his wife hardly known outside the US, as you imply. -Splashtalk 17:54, 31 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • I don't think Mrs. King has been active lately. IMO, if she had been active with a high profile, travelling internationally, and died suddenly, there may be a stronger case for the inclusion of her obituary on ITN. -- PFHLai 17:57, 31 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • Ronald Reagan wasn't active for a decade when he kicked. King was also active in issues in Africa, but people that could elaborate more on that are still waiting for their $100 laptops to chip in. BTW, I feel that the cartoons are most certainly notable, too. Youngamerican 18:05, 31 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • If there hadn't been so many high profile people from around the world attending the funeral, I might have removed Reagan's line from ITN then. And the US President had a much higher profile than Mrs. King. -- PFHLai 18:13, 31 January 2006 (UTC) Maybe I'm ignorant about Mrs. King, but to me, outside the US, she seems to be just the wife of a famous figure. -- PFHLai 18:28, 31 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • Question: If a story must be multi-national in its scope to qualify for ITN, why do the Polish roof collapse, the Finnish president that looks like Conan O'Brien, or the Sago Mine thing get so much time up here (note: this isn't sacrastic, I am trying to learn more about policy)? Youngamerican 18:17, 31 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • I don't get the Sago Mine thing, but getting a 'new' president of a nation should count as big news. The roof collapse ? The shocking death toll does it for me. These are my opinions, but I don't speak for all admins who monitor this page. For instance, I like sports news, some admins don't. BTW, when an item stays posted on ITN for a long time, it's not necessarily more important news. Often, it stays because we can't find good replacements. -- PFHLai 18:28, 31 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • I'd support putting Coretta Scott King's death up there on ITN. None of the other ITN stories have anything to do with the U.S. (Libya, Denmark, Kuwait, Finland, Australia, Poland, South Africa) ITN could be more balanced with stories from different parts of the world. Besides, what's wrong with rotating the stories through ITN a little more quickly? The Poland and South Africa news items have been on the main page for more than two days. --Aude (talk | contribs) 18:36, 31 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
 
Coretta Scott King
There's still a bit of white space below DYK, so I'd think there's room for another item on ITN, even if tomorrow's FA is shorter. I also managed to find a PD photo of Coretta Scott King (which could be cropped), and there's another one at http://snowe.senate.gov/photo_misc.htm which I'm assuming (but not 100% sure) is PD. --Aude (talk | contribs) 19:15, 31 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'd like some indication that this is being read by a decision-maker. This is happening now, and is a bit more compelling that the reelection of the president of Finland.
    • I seriously doubt anyone outside the continental US would have even heard of this. Google desn't seem to mention it as a recent headline, and it doesn't rate a mention on the BBC. ITN is for evens of global significance, much like the re-election of a President.--nixie 01:21, 30 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I am glad you are monitoring. Google does have several items, but the coverage is still US and Canada. Fox, CBS, CBC all have it. That the BBC has not picked it up should not be a deal breaker. The issue has demonstrable interest in the en:Wikipedia community and has international human rights ramifications. The issue of medical marijuana- and the drug war in general- is a global issue, with the US at its epicenter, and this matter as a focal point of that drama. With all sincere respect due the Finns, this matter is far more globally relevant. The United States has incarcerated a political prisoner with an international reputation in fragile health in potentially fatal conditions. I understand not wanting to get ahead of the press (or to act as a surrogate for them), but this is a well-documented story now on the merits, whether Reuters has it or not. StrangerInParadise 02:35, 30 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It really needs to be making international (sub)headlines, and this isn't yet. Certainly, a headline can be written for it which is quite compelling as you demonstrate, but this is not an event that is attracting interest or having an effect outside the US. Yet — if some other government dives in, it'll start hitting the radar, and then there's maybe a story. By all means update his article and write something for Wikinews, though. -Splashtalk 02:47, 30 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Done, though I like the longer headline I propose here. BTW, a coleague just reminded me that in Russia, Pravda has the story, as well as the others (US, Canada) I mentioned. We agree that it is compelling, what are the criteria here, and how much of it is rule-of-thumb? What do you mean by international (sub)headlines?
The criteria are at Wikipedia:In the news section on the Main Page. By international (sub)headlines I mean that it should be reaching the international news media at headline level or secondary headline level e.g. the "Other top stories" section of http://news.bbc.co.uk. Like most things on Wiki, it is largely rule-of-thumb based on experience and the typical material given In the News space. Just to clarify, I agree that a compelling headline can be written, but not that the story itself is compelling, particlarly. -Splashtalk 03:38, 30 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The story is not compelling? OK, I'll ask: how do you figure? StrangerInParadise 03:56, 30 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

File:SteveKubby.jpg
Steve Kubby, drug war POW grows dangerously ill in US custody

HEY! I am kinda stuck. This is a story of international significance, but apart from reposting it over and over again, I don't know what to do. Kubby is an international figure (not just US-Canada, international). Like many figures in an international endevor like medical cannabis, he may not be known by the man on the street, but his deeds are known- he co-authored an internationally well-known law. The fact that he is now effectively a political prisoner, in US custody PISSING BLOOD from his out-of-control blood-pressure because they will not give him medication.....how is this not a story of international significance. Why does it have to be BBC, as if CBS, FOX (US), CBC (Canada), Pravda (Russia) and DNA (India) are not enough. This is not consistent with the stated guidelines:

  1. A story should be listed on the current events page (except for the rare sports story which makes it to the main page, which should instead be listed on current sports events). CHECK
  2. The current event needs to be important enough to warrant updating the corresponding article. CHECK
  3. It should be a story of an international importance, or at least interest. SEE ABOVE, MMJ EFFORTS IN MANY COUNTRIES, WITH BOTH BILATERAL AND INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC RAMIFICATIONS AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS
  4. The article must be updated to reflect the new information and have a recent date linked (but remember: Wikipedia is not a news report so relatively small news items should not be put into articles; thus those type of news items should not be displayed on the Main Page). CHECK
  5. A death should only be placed on ITN if it meets one of two criteria: .... (2) the death has a major impact on current events. The modification or creation of multiple articles to take into account the ramifications of a death is a sign that it meets Criteria 2. IT WOULD, I PREFER IT NOT COME TO THAT
  6. A short headline should be written for the current event and the article that was updated based on the current event should be emboldened. CHECK
  7. One and only one image should be included on Template:In the news at any one time..... PICTURE or NO PICTURE- CHECK

I understand this is not a PR service. I understand that it is not Wikipedia's fault that this is not better covered by CNN, etc. I understand that whatever interest I have in drawing attention to this matter to help Kubby is beside the point. That notwithstanding, this rule-of-thumb is employed in disregard of the actual guidelines, which is frustrating: what is my next step? Apologies for displacing the tennis results. StrangerInParadise 03:03, 31 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry, but Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, and not a news service. ITN is just a section on MainPage to feature good wikiarticles updated with recent big news, not to feature news stories. We can't post every item about every gravely ill politician. Please try Wikinews. -- PFHLai 16:18, 31 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Please try Wikinews!!! Did you even read the news article, the wiki article or the comments here?! Of course you didn't. He wasn't quite so gravely ill before the US extradited him, put him in a cage and cut off his medication. This isn't some run-of-the-mill prison abuse story, this is an international figure. StrangerInParadise 17:45, 31 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, I've read them. He has been ill since 1968.... And I don't understand why he is an international figure. I give up. Maybe another admin can take a look. -- PFHLai 18:48, 31 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

ABC News anchorman Bob Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt were injured in an IED attack in Iraq. According to ABC News, they are in a U.S. military hospital with head injuries, and both are in serious condition.

Following is the bulletin that was sent to ABC affiliates over the news wire. (I work at an ABC affiliate) — Michael J 14:46, 29 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

NEWSONE ADVISORY-RUNDOWN 12:01 AM SCRIPT #7
DATE: SUNDAY 29 JANUARY 2006
SATELLITE: CHANNEL
CATEGORY: URGENT
URGENT **** URGENT **** URGENT
Sent: 8:27 am/et CAJ
Bob Woodruff and his cameraman, Doug Vogt, were injured in an IED attack near Taji, Iraq today. They were embedded with the 4th Infantry Division, traveling with an Iraqi Army unit in an Iraqi mechanized vehicle. Bob and Doug are in serious condition and are being treated at a U.S. military hospital in Iraq. We'll keep you updated with information as it becomes available.


  • Car bombings that kill tens of Iraqis daily don't make ITN, I don't see why two American journalists getting injured in one is of any great significance.--nixie 03:20, 30 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Countries throughout Asia celebrate Chinese New Year, giving way to the year of the dog on the Chinese Zodiac Calendar. --TAOW 00:06, 29 January 2006 (UTC)

  • Republic Day celebrations in India. The Saudi king Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud is in India as chief guest for the Republic Day celebration. (NDTV) -- pradeepsomani
    • This is not breaking news, and of little interest to a global audience. Besides: There is no article.
  • 250th anniversary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birth. The media agree this is a newsworthy event. See also Wikipedia talk:Selected anniversaries/January 27. I don't care where, but this ought to show up on the main page. Melchoir 05:30, 25 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
    • Do we have an updated article? No. It doesn't really need to be on the front page. In the anniversaries, maybe, but that's beyond the scope of this talk page. --Golbez 19:35, 25 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
      • Well, from the anniversaries talk page, "Celebrations/Commemorations in the news ? ITN may be more appropriate." And yes, there are celebrations worldwide. So where's the item going to be? I for one think this is more notable than the most recent election/train/mining disaster, and I bet you anything Google will have a logo for Mozart on Friday. Do we want to be left out of the fun? Melchoir 20:20, 25 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
        • I disagree that the anniversary of someone being born 250 years ago is more notable than notable disasters causing death today, or an election, or what not. Wow, he was born 250 years ago today, so notable? An accident of the calendar. I don't see ITN being appropriate at all. --Golbez 02:25, 26 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
          • Okay okay, you don't think it's notable. I'm not saying we get rid of the politics stories; I'm saying for one day we make a little room for something else. This shouldn't be a hard decision. Melchoir 02:42, 26 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
            • It's not a hard decision at all - it doesn't belong on ITN, as the rules are set up now. For one thing, the article isn't updated. Required. You may not like the rules, but that's what they are, and if you want to change it, this isn't the talk page to do it in. --Golbez 02:47, 26 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
              • I don't believe it belongs on "In the News" either... there are many notable people who reach milestones like Mozart but don't make the ITN section. joturner 02:50, 26 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
                • Aya. The requirements are hardly policy, and I don't think opening up 250th anniversaries is such a slippery slope. But I give up. Melchoir 03:03, 26 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
                  • I think this is significant enough to belong on Selected anniversaries, though it is true we don't usually do birthdays there either. It doesn't belong on In the news for the simple reason that no article has been updated (and given the nature of this, I would only reconsider if someone were to write a truly worthy article specifically on the worldwide 250 celebrations). Anyway, I think I'm going to add it to Selected anniversaries now.--Pharos 16:43, 26 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

/* January 26, 2006 Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.'s (CMG) initial public offering spiced up the market Thursday like a three-alarm hot pepper sauce, overshadowing good openings by two other new issues.

 The Denver-based burrito chain's stock opened at $45 on the New York Stock 

Exchange, double its IPO price of $22 a share. The company, which is majority-owned by McDonald's Corp. (MCD), sold 7.88 million shares of its stock at a price above the expected range set by underwriters Morgan Stanley (MS) and SG Cowen & Co. The stock was trading recently at $43.59 a share.

(do we sign these?) --Jfruh 03:20, 25 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Reading down, I see that there's some debate over whether elections are ITN-worthy in and of themselves. For this one, I'd offer the fact (a) it's the first in 10 years and (b) it's a part of the larger story of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; observers say that ths election, plus the Israeli election in two months, will set the tone for the next phase of that conflict. --Jfruh 03:39, 25 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I was just going to suggest this candidate myself, but it's *just* been added to the candidate list, so I'll second the nomination. Although it seems somewhat trivial at first (only affecting the U.S.) it's a major merger of Big Media, and will certainly affect most aspects of U.S. television.

--Firsfron 01:54, 25 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's a merger among big media. Time Warner and CBS are not merging - two small subsidiaries of the giants are. I say not worthy. --Golbez 03:29, 25 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
JMHO here, but I really wouldn't call them two "small" subsidiaries: the WB has 177 affilate TV stations, and UPN has over 200, meaning it will affect 200+ TV markets (pretty much *every* market), and will probably have a big effect on not just US Television, since US shows get syndicated worldwide. One of the major qualifications for front page news on Wikipedia seems to be if the news item will have some sort of international impact, and this certainly will, if only in the Entertainment industry. Besides, lately the ITN column has been mostly political in nature ("So and So has been elected..."), and I myself would like to see more variety. Yesterday's ITN article, for example, featured 80% politics-related headlines, 20% accident-related, and nothing else. From what I recall, previous days have had similar ratios. --Firsfron 10:30, 25 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I could have sworn I saw...yes, there it is...an election being held is not ITN-worthy. When we have a result THAT is the time to add to the Main Page. Batmanand 15:41, 22 January 2006 (UTC), yesterday I see that in relation to the Portuguese elections, and today I see the Canadian election announced. (I voted, yay!) Sherurcij (talk) (Terrorist Wikiproject) 21:43, 23 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I stand by what I said before. I think that only a result should be on the front page. The only exceptions to this would be 1. If it was the first ever (or for a long time) election in a country 2. If the results were not expected for a few weeks. The Canadian and Portugese elections fulfil neither of these criteria. Batmanand 22:53, 23 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not quite sure what one user's opinion has to do with damning an entire subset of in-the-news possibilities, but, hey. If one opinion expressed on this page makes policy, sure, chew me out over it. Whatever floats your boat. Lord Bob 23:11, 23 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It was merely an opinion. It is for the Admin who updates the ITN box to decide whether mine or yours is the one that will prevail. Don't worry. I know I am not making policy. Sorry if you got that idea. Batmanand 23:38, 23 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I wasn't going off on you (and your mistaken adjustment of my intentation seems to indicate you thought I was). You're entitled to your opinion, of course, even when I disagree with it. I was expressing my displeasure with Sherurcij's pico-rant. Lord Bob 00:34, 24 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
It wasn't a pico-rant, it was displaying the fact that "some admins" (apparently you?) decided not to throw up the Portuguese election, but did for the Canadian. I'm just pointing out, not ranting ;) Sherurcij (talk) (Terrorist Wikiproject) 01:39, 24 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I'm an admin? Really? Wow. Of course, if you were talking to Batmanand, please disregard. :P Lord Bob 04:26, 24 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
And if you are talking to me, my Adminship is news to me. Batmanand 08:27, 24 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I have removed the Canadian election item, I'm sure it will make a re-appearacne when the results are known.--nixie 01:54, 24 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

IMO an election being held is not ITN-worthy. When we have a result THAT is the time to add to the Main Page. Batmanand 15:41, 22 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
That's the reason of the reference to the time and page of the results. I will be away from internet after 8 PM and so I decided to put it there earlier. Afonso Silva 15:54, 22 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Irrelevant anyway, the results are up. --Golbez 22:04, 23 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Knock and the door shall be opened unto you...] Sherurcij (talk) (Terrorist Wikiproject) 23:17, 22 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
File:Parkcity.jpg
  • www.wikipedia.de closed. After an interim injunction of the "Amtsgericht Berlin-Charlottenburg" (lowest type of court in germany), its forbidden to show the wikipedia from the main german wikipedia website. Its still possible to get to the german version of wikipedia via *deleted for spam filter*. The decision was made due to an article of the dead german hacker Boris Floricic called TRON.
Saying it "looks likely" is not totally neutral, as latest polls point that it will probably be a close call whether she'll get more than 50%. [7] It would be better to formulate that differently, or, for example, simply say that Halonen is "leading the opinion polls". --Jonik 15:43, 15 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
The first round of the 2006 presidential election in Finland concludes. The incumbent president Tarja Halonen will meet Sauli Niinistö in the second round run-off. --Kizor 20:14, 15 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Can I ask for this to be used soon, if it's suitable? The voting is over, the results are tallied. --Kizor 04:49, 16 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
 
Flag of Kuwait
The Stardust
The Stardust

[[Image:NonFreeImageRemoved.svg -->|right|100px|Rizgar Mohammed Amin]]

Until they actually are chosen, and are not just possibles, then this is not ITN material. --Golbez 17:03, 11 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Remove the Windows Security flaw and replace it with the German ice rink story. That was we have both the story about the trapped Americans and the dead Germans included and a pointless story about a Microsoft security flaw removed. Everyone is happy. Link to the German ice rink story: [13] Jombo 20:38, 3 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

 
Austria