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How to create a Wikipedia page for your media organisation

All Wikipedia pages are created by accessing a page title that does not yet exist, which is denoting with a red link instead of a blue link.


But first, there are a few hoops you have to jump through to be able to create a new page on Wikipedia.


Create an account


It’s simple enough. You can create an account here or if you’re having trouble, you can request an account here. You cannot create new Wikipedia pages anonymously. Make sure to turn off your VPN too - Wikipedia can block VPN IP connections.


Start editing


Find 10 random pages and make meaningful contributions, no matter how small they are (you could fix punctuation, for example). You need to do this to unlock the ability to create new pages.


Declare a conflict of interest


Conflict of interest (COI) editing involves contributing to Wikipedia about yourself, family, friends, clients, employers, or your financial and other relationships. If you want to create a Wikipedia page for your media organisation, you’re COI editing.


Editors with a COI must disclose it otherwise your article will get rejected.


Follow these steps to declare a “General COI”. There are slightly different rules if you are being paid to create a Wikipedia page (e.g. you’re salaried at or freelance for the organisation whose page you’re creating).


Understand the COI rules


  • Always seek to disclose your COI where possible.

  • Propose changes on talk pages rather than making edits yourself.

  • Respect other editors and understand your work will need to be peer reviewed.

  • You must only use your COI account to work on areas related to your work. You must not patrol new pages. If you need to edit something unrelated, create a new account.

  • Others may add information that would otherwise remain little known.

  • They may also decide to delete the article. Keep a draft in a word doc somewhere and understand you may do a couple hours of work for nothing if the article is rejected.


Follow the Articles for Creation (AfC) process


You must, must, must follow this process for creating a new article when COI editing.


After you have followed the steps and your page is pending review (it can take months, depending on the topic area and the number of volunteers available), keep an eye on the talk pages as reviewers will want to offer feedback and ask questions.


I recommend checking in on the Wikipedia page for 2-3 minutes per day until it is live. This way you can keep on top of disputes.


How to write a good Wikipedia page


  1. Use the Article Wizard.

  2. To be worthy of inclusion in an encyclopedia, a subject must be sufficiently notable, and that notability must be verifiable through citations to reliable sources. If that’s you, start collecting your sources. They must be sources that exercise some form of editorial control and have some reputation for fact-checking and accuracy. Here’s a guide on referencing.

  3. Do not copy and paste text from your website or other sources. You must write original content.

  4. You must write from a neutral point of view - imagine you’re a stranger who knows nothing about your media organisation. Even the slightest hint of bias in your writing will get your article rejected.

  5. Categorise, tag and link your article properly.


Hot tip: Read a traditional encyclopedia. That’s exactly what Wikipedia is looking for.

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