SportsPress Writer Policy

You MUST:

  1. Reply to a direct message on KIK within 24 hours of it being sent.
  2. Add a featured image to your articles and give photo credit.
  3. Tag all articles.
  4. Categorize all articles with the “Sports” category.
  5. Categorize all articles with the category of the corresponding sport.
  6. Use team logos (of the same size for the entire article) for any player or team-related lists or rankings. (see explanation HERE)
  7. Post at least six articles per month if you are an author or two if you are a contributor (unless you give a legitimate excuse, such as a vacation, BEFORE the month begins).
  8. Post at least one article per month that exceeds 200 words in length.
  9. Participate in group rankings and/or consensus polls/surveys.
  10. Write out abbreviations once before using them one or more times.
    • Example: If you want to say “QB”, start off by saying “quarterback (QB)” and then use “QB” the rest of the way.
  11. Write out the full name of a person before only referring to him or her by his or her last name.
  12. Write out the full name of a team before only referring to them by their city or their nickname.
  13. Use proper spelling and grammar.
  14. Use accurate facts and information.
  15. Write your own articles and not steal from another website.
  16. Post a featured article ONLY when directed to do so.
  17. Let an administrator know if you are having trouble with the posting mechanics and site mechanics.
  18. Check out the Article Spreadsheet, which is updated regularly. This will help you keep track of when you posted and how many posts you need to meet the monthly requirement. You can find it HERE.
  19. Respect all group members.
  20. Refrain from using profanity in articles and in the group chats.
  21. Post only about things relevant to sports.
  22. Refrain from giving the site a poor representation through your actions in real life and/or on social media.
  23. Let someone know if a serious incident (bullying and such) happens involving any group members.

 

Failure to adhere to rule(s)…

  • #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, or #6 will result in 0.5 strike.
  • #7 or #8 will result in 1 strike and a 1-week ban from writing articles on SportsPress
  • #9 will result from between 1 to 3 strikes. If you are banned already and not allowed to post, this rule does not apply.
  • #10, #11, #12, or #13 will result in 1 strike if you get in the regular habit of not doing them.
  • #14 will result in a maximum of 1 strike depending on how severe the error is.
  • #15 or #16 will result in a permanent ban.
  • #17 or #18 will show in your posts, and that will likely lead you to commit other infractions.
  • #19, #20, #21, #22, or #23 will result from between 1 to 3 strikes based on the severity of the situation.

NOTE: If you make a mistake that would ordinarily earn you a strike on a post you are doing after you’ve met the monthly requirement (such as failing to tag an article), you will NOT get half of a strike.

 

Strike System:

  1. 0.5 strikes
    • Nothing happens.
  2. 1 strike (that did NOT come as a result of not meeting the monthly posting requirements)
    • There will be a 1-week period of time during which each of the articles that you post will count as half of an article toward that month’s posting requirements.
  3. 1 strike (resulting from not meeting the monthly posting requirements)
    • There will be a 1-week period of time during which you will not be allowed to post articles.
  4. 3 strikes
    • You will be banned indefinitely until a vote in which 60% or more current writers vote on your reinstatement.
  5. 3 strikes (after a reinstatement)
    • You will be banned indefinitely until a vote in which 60% or more current writers vote on your reinstatement.

 

IMPORTANT NOTES:

  1. Each day resets at 7 PM EST.
  2. If your articles lack good quality, you may be demoted to writing for the Sports Brigade website, where you must publish articles until the quality of them improves and you are allowed to publish them on the main SportsPress website again.
  3. Changes to the policy MAY occur.

 

Application Process:

  1. If you pass the application…
    • You will most likely be accepted as a writer.
    • You will start out writing for the Sports Brigade website, where you must publish articles until the quality of them is deemed sufficient enough for you to be permitted to published on the main SportsPress website.
  2. You may re-apply as often as you like if you are not accepted the first time.

 

REWARDS:

  1. If you post a fantastic article, it will be one of our featured articles, which are seen on the front page of SportsPress.