Wikimedia Foundation/Communications/A Wiki Minute
What is this project? edit
The Wikimedia Foundation's Communications department is building short, reusable video explainers about key Wikimedia elements, concepts, and principles, so the public can better understand our projects and our movement. These explainers will be used to support our 2022-23 communication campaigns (e.g. Open the Knowledge - Stories, Journalism Awards), while they will also be available to both to Foundation staff and community groups to use and share as they see fit. This is a multi-year project and in the first phase we seek to answer some basic questions, with more specific questions coming later.
Why are we doing it? edit
We want to increase understanding of our Movement (mission, projects, and organizations) to advance knowledge equity with a regional focus. When talking to audiences unfamiliar with Wikimedia, they often lack context around the movement. We want to inform and educate folks so there is some basic knowledge around what we, the Wikimedia movement, do. We want to take viewers on a journey of understanding: from “I know and use Wikipedia,” to “I know what Wikimedia is and what it does” to “I know how to contribute to Wikimedia” to “I can explain/promote Wikimedia to others.”
Who is it for? edit
Communications department projects and initiatives engaged in external audience-focused projects.
Where are the videos? edit
For the first 10 videos, we will start with a beginner mindset (“If everything is new, what do you need to know?”) and focus on covering high-level common questions in short one-minute explainer videos. The first ten explainers answer the following questions:
- How does Wikipedia work?
- Does the content on Wikipedia reflect the world’s diversity?
- Can you trust what’s on Wikipedia?
- What makes a Wikipedia article unique?
- Why do you see fundraising messages on Wikipedia?
- What does the Wikimedia Foundation do?
- What is the Wikimedia free knowledge movement?
- What free knowledge projects does the Wikimedia Foundation support?
- How can you join the Wikimedia free knowledge movement?
- How is misinformation addressed on Wikipedia?
Videos edit
The videos will be uploaded to the Wikimedia Foundation's website, Commons, and YouTube as they are published. They will also be embedded in selected Foundation blogs and news releases and integrated into the Foundation's PR materials. Additionally, they will be promoted through social media posts and YouTube ads. The videos will be made available in English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabic.
How does Wikipedia work? edit
English
Arabic
Spanish
German
French
Portuguese
Does the content on Wikipedia reflect the world’s diversity? edit
English
Arabic
Spanish
German
French
Portuguese
Can you trust what’s on Wikipedia? edit
English
Arabic
Spanish
German
French
Portuguese
What makes a Wikipedia article unique? edit
English
Arabic
Spanish
German
French
Portuguese
Why do you see fundraising messages on Wikipedia? edit
English
Arabic
Spanish
German
French
Portuguese
What does the Wikimedia Foundation do? edit
English
Arabic
Spanish
German
French
Portuguese
What is the Wikimedia free knowledge movement? edit
English
Arabic
Spanish
German
French
Portuguese
What free knowledge projects does the Wikimedia Foundation support? edit
English
Arabic
Spanish
German
French
Portuguese
How can you join the Wikimedia free knowledge movement? edit
English
Arabic
Spanish
German
French
Portuguese
How is misinformation addressed on Wikipedia? edit
English
Arabic
Spanish
German
French
Portuguese
Community input edit
Our focus right now is on producing these explainers to support the Communications department Annual Plan. Even though community usage is not our main focus, we welcome people to reuse and share the videos in contexts where this would be helpful. As always, translations of the video subtitles are welcome.
What's next? edit
We want to get these first ten videos out, evaluate their usefulness, and decide what to do next. As of this time, there are no specific plans beyond this fiscal year.