Wires

Terms and conditions

The Conversation

When publishing a wire from The Conversation, you shouldn’t change or rework any of the text. It’s literally just a case of copying and pasting in the HTML that is provided. The entire piece, as it appears on their website will show up with links as well. You would just need to make sure those external links open in a new tab and mark those that don’t fall within media or government as no-follow.  

Ground Up

You may republish their articles, so long as you credit the authors and GroundUp, and do not change the text. Please also include a link back to the original article. This should appear at the top of your article before the first paragraph and go something like this: “By Joe Bloggs for Ground Up”. The author’s name on the Ground Up article is already hyperlinked so you simply have to copy and paste and add in for Ground Up. Ground Up should be hyperlinked to their home page. 

Example: By Steve Kretzmann for Ground Up  

While the body text should be left as is, you should adapt the headline, write an excerpt and add in sub-headings. Regarding images, you may download the one they have with the article but remember to take their caption as is. 

Agence France-Presse/AFP

When publishing a wire from Agence France-Presse or AFP as we like to call it, the body copy should not be changed. The onus is on us, however, to adapt the headline, write an excerpt, formulate sub-headings and add an image, either from AFP or one of our other image libraries if one is not available on AFP. 

As a journalist, you would know that crediting a source is compulsory and non-negotiable. So please make sure that the author(s), if any, are credited at the bottom of the article, as well as, Agence France-Presse. Something like: “By Joe Bloggs © Agence France-Presse”. If an author is not present, then just © Agence France-Presse will do.  

MambaOnline

When republishing articles from mambaonline.com, the body copy should not be altered. However, we have to write a fresh headline/title, unique excerpt/blurb, add links and break up the text using sub-headings. Please bare in mind that we’re only allowed to republish two (2) articles 

We also can’t use images from the original article but instead have to find images from The South African’s permitted sources.

Please credit the original Mamba author and link back to the original article at the bottom of the page, in the manner below:

Vuk’uzenzele

Vuk’uzenzele is a free, monthly government newspaper published by Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), the South African government’s official mouthpiece.

When republishing articles from Vuk’uzenzele, the body copy should not be altered. However, we have to write a fresh headline/title, unique excerpt/blurb, add links and break up the text using sub-headings. We’re also allowed to use the images that accompany the articles.

Please credit the original Vuk’uzenzele author, insert a canonical link and link back to the original article at the bottom of the page, in the manner below:

Mercury

When republishing articles from Mercury, the body copy should not be altered. However, we have to write a fresh headline/title, unique excerpt/blurb, add links and break up the text using sub-headings. We’re also allowed to use the images that accompany the articles.

Please credit The Mercury Team, insert a canonical link and link back to the original article at the bottom of the page, in the manner below:

Remember to mark the link back to the original article as no-follow, since Mercury is neither a media nor government website.

Quality Wire Criteria 

Yes, wires are scored as part of TT&Q as well, not only standard articles, so it’s important to pay attention to the criteria for each wire. See below: 

• Agence France-Presse/AFP

Headlines

• A green line for the SEO title/headline
• Headline etiquette: Repeating words, avoiding full stops etc
• Headline is adapted from the original

Body/paragraphs 

• Paragraphs should be no more than 80 words 
• Correct use of date, time according to our style

Internal links

• Must be at least one internal link
• Internal links must NOT “open in a new tab”

Sub-headings

• Sub-headings must be present in an article
• Must be styled as a heading according to WordPress blocks
• The first sub-heading must appear in H2, thereafter H3 may be used

Quotes

• Best quotes must be styled as quotes according to WordPress blocks

URL/Slug

• URL must be adapted to what a reader would search for

Categories

• Relevant category or categories must be selected

Tags

• Tags must be kept to a maximum of five and must be relevant to the article

Images

• Caption must be present and follow our style

Author

• The author must be changed accordingly ie AFP
• The author of the article (if any) and “Agence France-Presse” must be at at the bottom of the article
• Ground Up

Ground Up has the same criteria as AFP except the author should obviously be changed to Ground Up and the author(s) of the article and the words “Ground Up” should appear at the top before the first paragraph and be hyperlinked.

Their image caption should also be used as is.  Additionally, a canonical link should be inserted before the article is published. 

• The Conversation

Internal links

• At least one internal link should be present
• The internal link(s) should open in the same tab

External links

• External links (already provided) that are not media or gov should be marked no-follow
• External links that fall within media or gov should NOT be marked as no-follow
• All external links should open in a new tab

Excerpt

• An excerpt must be written from scratch
• The excerpt must reflect a green line in Yoast

Quotes

• Best quotes must be styled as quotes according to WordPress blocks

URL/Slug

• URL must be adapted to what a reader would search for

Categories

• Relevant category or categories must be selected

Tags

• Tags must be kept to a maximum of five and must be relevant to the article

Images

• A featured image must be sourced and present
• Caption MUST contain description, source & follow our style

Author

• The author must be changed accordingly ie The Conversation
• Author(s) of the article must be mentioned at the bottom with their institution

Canonical link

A canonical link should be inserted before the article is published. 

• • MambaOnline

Internal links

• At least one internal link should be present
• The internal link(s) should open in the same tab

External links

• External links (already provided) that are not media or gov should be marked no-follow
• External links that fall within media or gov should NOT be marked as no-follow
• All external links should open in a new tab

Excerpt

• An excerpt must be written from scratch
• The excerpt must reflect a green line in Yoast

Quotes

• Best quotes must be styled as quotes according to WordPress blocks

URL/Slug

• URL must be adapted to what a reader would search for

Categories

• Relevant category or categories must be selected

Tags

• Tags must be kept to a maximum of five and must be relevant to the article

Images

• A featured image must be sourced and present
• Caption MUST contain description, source & follow our style

Author

• The author must be changed accordingly ie Mambaonline.com
• Author(s) of the article must be mentioned at the bottom 

Canonical link

A canonical link should be inserted before the article is published. 

• Vuk’uzenzele

Internal links

• At least one internal link should be present
• The internal link(s) should open in the same tab

External links

• External links that are not media or government should be marked no-follow
• External links that fall within media or government should NOT be marked as no-follow
• All external links should open in a new tab

Excerpt

• An excerpt must be written from scratch
• The excerpt must reflect a green line in Yoast

Quotes

• Best quotes must be styled as quotes according to WordPress blocks

URL/Slug

• URL must be adapted to what a reader would search for

Categories

• Relevant category or categories must be selected

Tags

• Tags must be kept to a maximum of five and must be relevant to the article

Images

• Featured image can be the one used in the original article
• Caption MUST contain description, source & follow our style

Author

• The author must be changed accordingly ie GCIS Vuk’uzenzele
• Author(s) of the article must be mentioned at the bottom. 

Canonical link

A canonical link should be inserted before the article is published. 

• Mercury

Internal links

• At least one internal link should be present
• The internal link(s) should open in the same tab

External links

• External links that are not media or government should be marked no-follow
• External links that fall within media or government should NOT be marked as no-follow
• All external links should open in a new tab

Excerpt

• An excerpt must be written from scratch
• The excerpt must reflect a green line in Yoast

Quotes

• Best quotes must be styled as quotes according to WordPress blocks

URL/Slug

• URL must be adapted to what a reader would search for

Categories

• Relevant category or categories must be selected

Tags

• Tags must be kept to a maximum of five and must be relevant to the article

Images

• Featured image can be the one used in the original article
• Caption MUST contain description, source & follow our style

Author

• The author must be changed accordingly ie Mercury
• The Mercury Team must be mentioned at the bottom. 

Canonical link

A canonical link should be inserted before the article is published.