Palo Alto Bridge / Website Updates / How to Create a News Item

News allows us to communicate information to Unit members and friends.

Overview

To create a news story you will log into the WordPress ‘Dashboard’ for our site and then:

  • Create a new Post or duplicate an existing Post for modification
  • Enter the story in specified fields
  • Preview the story
  • Edit and add the story to our website

Log onto WordPress

  • Go to paloaltobridge.org/wp-admin
  • Enter your username and password
  • You will now be taken to the ‘Dashboard’ – the main page for editing our site.

Create a News Story

News stories on our website are called Posts in WordPress.

Select Posts > Add New from the menu on the left side of the page

You may also start by duplicating an existing Post and editing it:

  • (easiest)
  • Select a news story on our website
  • Select Edit Post at the top of the page (you must be logged in)
  • Select Duplicate Post above the blue Update button

or

  • Select Posts > Add New from the menu at the top left of the dashboard
  • Use the Search Events field on the right side of the page to search for the story you want to duplicate
  • Open the story
  • select Duplicate Post button above the blue Update button

Enter the event name in the Enter title here field.

Select the editor you want to use:

  • Front End – this is a simple WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor with limited formatting.
  • Back End – this is a simple non-WYSIWYG editor with one large edit area for text, links, pictures, etc.
  • Classic – this is the most sophisticated editor which allows formatting such as multiple columns, background colors, pictures, etc.  It is not WYSIWYG.

Select the visual mode for the Back End and Classic editors:

  • Visual – this is the simplest mode which is appropriate for simple text.  Most people will use this mode.
  • Text – this changes the page into HTML code for greater flexibility.  If you do not know HTML do not use this mode.

Enter the event information:

  • Use the text area to add a description of the event using text and/or images.Preview the Event.
  • Use the Categories field on the right to select the category of the new item.
  • Use the Featured Image field on the right to insert an image to be displayed on the News page.

When through, go back to the upper-right area of the page and select the Preview button.  Wordpress is finicky and you may have to select it twice.  This will display the page in a new tab as it will look on our website.

After reviewing the news item delete the tab to return to the edit page.

Note:  If your browser did not create a new tab, use the browser Back button to return to the event dialog.

Edit and Add the News Item

Make any corrections to the event.  When done select the blue Publish Post .  Again, you may have to select it a twice.

Go to the News page and verify that it displays what you want.  If not, use your browser Back button to return to the news item and re-edit and publish it using the blue Update.