Guide to covering the

National Assembly for Wales Election

for community journalists

Canllaw i ddilyn etholiadau
Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru

ar gyfer newyddiadurwyr cymunedol

By | Gan Lleu Williams & Hannah

Scarbrough
with | gyda Sian Powell

Contents | Cynnwys
Introduction | Cyflwyniad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Engagement tools and tips | Dulliau a chyngor ymgysylltu. . . . . . . . . . .5
Media law | Cyfraith cyfryngau. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Polling websites | Gwefannau pleidleisio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Devolved issues | Materion datganoledig. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Approaching a candidate | Mynd at ymgeisydd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Selling yourself | Gwerthu eich hun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
National Assembly Elections: a timeline | Etholiadaur Cynulliad
Cenedlaethol: llinell amser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Polling day | Diwrnod pleidleisio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..23
Election night and conclusion | Noson etholiad
a casgliad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Further reading and credits | Darllen a chredydau pellach. . . . . . . . . . .26

With thanks to Helen Taylor for her contribution

Gyda diolch i Helen Taylor am ei chyfraniad

Introduction | Cyflwyniad
What should you know before covering the
National Assembly for Wales election? And
how have other community journalists
covered elections previously?

Beth ddylech ei wybod cyn dilyn etholiadau

Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru? Sut mae
newyddiadurwyr cymunedol eraill wedi
dilyn etholiadau yn flaenorol?

In this guide, we examine how you can

cover the National Assembly for Wales
election effectively and build engagement
with your local community, including lots of
free tools and tips.

Yn y canllaw hwn, archwiliwn sut y gallwch

ddilyn etholiadau Cynulliad Cenedlaethol
Cymru yn effeithiol a meithrin ymgysylltiad
gydach cymuned leol, gan gynnwys llawer
o declynnau a chyngor am ddim.

In 1997, Wales voted yes to devolution,

resulting in the establishment of the National
Assembly for Wales. This year marks the fifth
election of this institution, following hot on the
heels of the UK General Election in 2015. This
Guide updates our previous General Election
Guide with specific advice and information for
our devolved elections here in Wales.
However, many of the general principles and
tools for engagement you read here will be
transferable for other elections including
Scottish Government and mayoral elections
taking place in London and Bristol.

Yn 1997, pleidleisiodd Cymru ie i ddatganoli,

gan arwain at sefydlu Cynulliad Cenedlaethol
Cymru. Mae eleni yn nodi pumed etholiad y
sefydliad hwn, yn fuan iawn wedi Etholiad
Cyffredinol y DU yn 2015. Maer Canllaw hwn
yn diweddaru ein Canllaw Etholiad Cyffredinol
blaenorol gyda chyngor a gwybodaeth benodol
ar gyfer ein hetholiadau datganoledig yma yng
Nghymru. Fodd bynnag, bydd llawer or
egwyddorion a dulliau ar gyfer ymgysylltu a
ddarllenwch yma yn drosglwyddadwy ar gyfer
etholiadau eraill gan gynnwys Llywodraeth yr
Alban ac etholiadau maerol yn Llundain a
Bryste.

How do you cover the National Assembly

elections in a way that is engaging and
comprehensible? Here in Wales, many have
levelled the accusation that the national and
local press do not do enough to inform their
audiences about Wales-specific powers, with
one survey finding that 42% of respondents did
not know that the NHS was a devolved issue.
There is an over-reliance on London-based UK
media sources, who often do not cover Walesbased issues whatsoever.
However, the emergence of community or
hyperlocal journalism means that there is a
greater plurality of media voices holding
powers to account . Here in Wales, this led to

Sut ydych yn trafod etholiadaur Cynulliad

Cenedlaethol mewn ffordd syn ymgysylltu ac
yn ddealladwy? Yma yng Nghymru, mae llawer
wedi cyhuddor wasg genedlaethol a lleol o
beidio gwneud digon i hysbysu eu
cynulleidfaoedd ynghylch grymoedd yn
benodol i Gymru, gydag un arolwg yn canfod
nad oedd 42% o ymatebwyr yn gwybod bod y
GIG yn fater datganoledig . Mae
gorddibyniaeth ar ffynonellau cyfryngaur DU
yn Llundain, sydd yn aml ddim yn trin materion
Cymreig o gwbl.
Fodd bynnag, mae ymddangosiad
newyddiaduriaeth cymunedol a hyperleol yn
golygu bod mwy o luosogrwydd o leisiau

the creation of a Hyperlocal News Day at the

Senedd and in North Wales, where Welsh
community journalists were invited to report on
the work of the National Assembly. These days
demonstrated a clear appetite from community
journalists in Wales to report on political issues
which were relevant to their local communities.

cyfryngol yn sicrhau bod grymoedd yn atebol .

Yma yng Nghymru, arweiniodd at greu
Diwrnod Newyddion Hyperleol yn y Senedd a
Gogledd Cymru, lle gwahoddwyd
newyddiadurwyr cymunedol Cymru i adrodd ar
faterion gwleidyddol a oedd yn berthnasol iw
cymunedau lleol .

We look forward to seeing innovative coverage

of the National Assembly Election from
community journalists across Wales, and we
hope this Guide helps - let us know how you
get on!

Edrychwn ymlaen at weld sylw arloesol o

etholiadaur Cynulliad Cenedlaethol gan
newyddiadurwyr cymunedol ledled Cymru.
Gobeithiwn y gwnaiff y Canllaw hwn fod o
gymorth gadewch i ni wybod sut hwyl gewch
chi!

Promotional graphic for Tongwynlais.com's General Election coverage | Graffig hyrwyddo ar gyfer darllediadau Etholiad Cyffredinol
Tongwynlais.com yn

Engagement tools and tips for community journalists, by

community journalists
Dulliau a chyngor ymgysylltu ar gyfer newyddiadurwyr
cymunedol, gan newyddiadurwyr cymunedol
By | Gan Hannah Scarbrough
Not sure how you can cover the National
Assembly for Wales Election? We hear
from community journalists across the
UK as they provide their tools and tips.

Yn ansicr sut y gallwch ddilyn Etholiad y

Cynulliad Cenedlaethol? Clywn gan
newyddiadurwyr cymunedol ledled y DU
wrth iddynt ddarparu eu dulliau ac
awgrymiadau da.

Partner up

Creu partneriaethau

Covering an election means a commitment

of time and resources, which are in short
supply for many hyperlocals who run their
sites around day jobs and family
commitments. A way of mitigating this is to
partner up with other news outlets in your
constituency. Jack Davies of
Tongwynlais.com said of his coverage in the
General Election: I shared information and
promoted content with Cardiff North
Decides, which was run by two trainee
journalists at Cardiff University. I was also in
touch with well established hyperlocals in
the constituency to let them know what was
doing and to ask for their support.

Mae dilyn etholiad yn golygu ymroi amser ac

adnoddau, sydd yn brin i lawer o
newyddiadurwyr hyperleol syn rhedeg eu
safleoedd o amgylch swyddi bob dydd ac
ymrwymiadau teuluol. Ffordd o liniaru hyn
yw creu partneriaethau gyda ffynonellau
newyddion eraill yn eich etholaeth.
Dywedodd Jack Davies o Tongwynlais.com
am ei sylw ef or Etholiad Cyffredinol:
Rhannais wybodaeth a chynnwys
hyrwyddol gyda Cardiff North Decides, a
gynhaliwyd gan ddau newyddiadurwyr dan
hyfforddiant ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd.
Roeddwn hefyd mewn cysylltiad
newyddiadurwyr hyperleol yn yr etholaeth
iw hysbysu beth oedd yn cael ei wneud a
holi am eu cymorth.

The Lincolnite also teamed up with BBC

Radio Lincolnshire and local newspaper
Lincolnshire Echo to present hustings event,
the Lincoln Debate, resulting in a 250-strong
audience.
The message is covering an election is
demanding work dont struggle alone! If
there are other news outlets or information
providers in your constituency, get in touch
to pool resources and cross-promote
content.

Gwnaeth The Lincolnite hefyd ymuno BBC

Radio Swydd Lincoln ar papur newydd lleol
sef y Lincolnshire Echo i gyflwyno
digwyddiad llwyfan etholiad, sef Dadl
Lincoln, gyda 250 o bobl yn y gynulleidfa.
Y neges yw mae dilyn etholiad yn waith
heriol peidiwch ag ymdrechu eich hun! Os
oes ffynonellau newyddion neu ddarparwyr
gwybodaeth eraill yn eich etholaeth,
cysylltwch i gronni adnoddau a thrawshyrwyddo cynnwys.

Create an 'election hub'

Creu hyb etholiad

Pulling together electoral information

together in one place from Twitter lists of
candidates to the latest news is an
approach we have seen adopted previously
by many community journalists, giving their
audiences access to a one-stop shop for
their elections. Jack Davies of
Tongwynlais.com created a Rebel Mousedriven election hub which pulled together
tweets and website content from local
candidates in the marginal constituency.

Mae dod gwybodaeth etholiadol at ei

gilydd mewn un lle o restrau ymgeiswyr ar
Twitter ir newyddion diweddaraf yn ffordd
a welsom yn cael ei mabwysiadau or blaen
gan lawer o newyddiadurwyr cymunedol,
gan roi mynediad iw cynulleidfaoedd i siop
un stop ar gyfer eu hetholiadau. Creodd
Jack Davies o Tongwynlais.com hyb
etholiad a yrrwyd gan RebelMouse a
gasglodd drydar a chynnwys gwefannau
ynghyd gan ymgeiswyr lleol yn yr etholaeth
ymylol at ei gilydd.

Over at The Lincolnites election hub

(included in Journalism.co.uks round-up of
General Election news innovations), voters
could find reports, galleries, videos and
Twitter lists of local candidates.
In Roath Cardiffs Roath Votes General
Election Guide, readers could arm
themselves with recent election results and
information on how to register to vote.
Even in the latter stages of an electoral
campaign, it is great to be able to provide
local readers with up-to-date information
and advice such as Deeside.coms
Election Day checklist, which included
polling times and final candidate reminders.
Crowdsourcing discussion
Community interaction is always central to
hyperlocal coverage of any election. From
Twitter Q&As to polls, community journalists
have been actively involving their audiences
in the electoral debate and encouraging
democratic participation.
For the General Election, A Little Bit of
Stone asked for their readers big issues,
and put many of these questions to
candidates. Roath Cardiff also

Yn hyb etholiad The Lincolnite (sydd yng

nghrynhoad Journalism.co.uk o arloesiadau
newyddion yr Etholiad Cyffredinol), roedd
pleidleiswyr yn cael adroddiadau, orielau,
fideos a rhestrau o ymgeiswyr lleol ar
Twitter.
Yn Pleidleisiaur Rhath Canllaw Etholiad
Cyffredinol yn Roath Cardiff, gallai
darllenwyr gael gafael ar ganlyniadau a
gwybodaeth etholiadau diweddar ar sut i
gofrestru i bleidleisio.
Hyd yn oed yng nghyfnodau olaf ymgyrch
etholiadol, maen wych gallu darparu
darllenwyr lleol r wybodaeth ar cyngor
diweddaraf fel rhestr wirio Dydd Etholiad
Deeside.com, a oedd yn cynnwys
amseroedd pleidleisio a nodiadau atgoffa
olaf ymgeiswyr.
Trafodaeth dyrfaol
Mae rhyngweithio cymunedol bob amser yn
ganolog i sylw hyperleol unrhyw etholiad. O
sesiynau Holi ac Ateb ar Twitter i bolau,
mae newyddiadurwyr cymunedol wedi bod
ar waith yn cynnwys eu cynulleidfaoedd yn y
ddadl etholiadol ac annog cyfranogiad
democrataidd.

crowdsourced questions for candidates,

which ranged from rubbish on streets to how
small businesses would be supported.
Tongwynlais.com hosted their own Twitter
hustings, where local voters could put their
140-character questions to candidates in
real time. Many hyperlocals have used
personalised hashtags to crowdsource
burning issues, questions and challenges.
Build your brand
Use election coverage as a platform to
promote your site and build your brand
within your community. Jack of
Tongwynlais.com did this by creating logos
and posters for his coverage, along with
customised links and hashtags. He has also
capitalised on political interest in his area by
creating a constituency-focused site, My
Cardiff North.

Ar gyfer yr Etholiad Cyffredinol, holodd A

Little Bit of Stone am faterion mawr eu
darllenwyr, gan holir cwestiynau hyn i
ymgeiswyr. Gwnaeth Roath Cardiff hefyd
holi cwestiynau i dyrfa ar gyfer ymgeiswyr, a
oedd yn amrywio o sbwriel ar strydoedd i sut
y byddai busnesau bach yn cael eu cefnogi.
Cynhaliodd Tongwynlais.com eu llwyfan
etholiad Twitter, lle gallai pleidleiswyr lleol
roi eu cwestiynau 140-nod i ymgeiswyr
mewn amser go iawn. Mae llawer o
newyddiadurwyr hyperleol wedi defnyddio
hashnodau personol i gael gafael ar faterion,
cwestiynau a heriau oddi wrth dyrfaoedd.
Creu eich brand
Defnyddiwch sylw etholiad fel llwyfan i
hyrwyddo eich safle ac adeiladu eich brand
o fewn eich cymuned. Gwnaeth Jack o
Tongwynlais.com hyn drwy greu logos a
phosteri ar gyfer ei sylw, ynghyd dolenni
a hashnodau addas. Mae hefyd wedi
manteisio ar ddiddordeb gwleidyddol yn ei
ardal drwy greu safle sy'n canolbwyntio ar
etholaeth, My Cardiff North.
Rhoi llwyfan i bob ymgeisydd ar eich
safle

Give every candidate a platform on your

site
Jeremy Morton of South Leeds Life said of
his local election coverage in 2014: Clearly
we needed to be fair and offer equal
coverage to all the candidates, so we set up
a page on the website for each ward, listing
the candidates and then inviting them to
send us text, images and video to post. We
sent the same invitation to every candidate
on the same day, once the Council
published the lists of candidates and we set
limits on the word count and video length.

Dywedodd Jeremy Morton o South Leeds

Life am ei sylw etholiad lleol yn 2014: Yn
amlwg roedd angen i ni fod yn deg a
chynnig sylw cyfartal ir holl ymgeiswyr.
Felly gwnaethom ni sefydlu tudalen ar y
wefan ar gyfer pob ward, gan restrur
ymgeiswyr au gwahodd i yrru negeseuon
testun, lluniau a fideos iw cyhoeddi. Gyrrom
yr un gwahoddiad i bob ymgeisydd ar yr un
diwrnod, unwaith oedd y Cyngor wedi
cyhoeddi y rhestrau o ymgeiswyr a
gwnaethom ni osod cyfyngiadau ar y nifer
geiriau a hyd y fideos.

Wrexham.com deserve a special mention

for their fantastic candidate videos in the
General Election, in which each would-be
MP was invited to give an opening
statement before answering the same Q&A.
They also provided detailed FAQs to explain
the interview process.

Mae Wrexham.com yn haeddu sylw

arbennig am eu fideos ymgeiswyr gwych yn
yr Etholiad Cyffredinol, lle y gwahoddid pob
ymgeisydd posibl i fod yn AS yn rhoi
datganiad agoriadol cyn ateb yr un sesiwn
Holi ac Ateb. Darparont hefyd gwestiynau
cyffredinol manwl i egluror broses gyfweld.

Hold your own hustings

Cynnal eich llwyfan etholiad eich hun

What is a hustings? Jeremy Morton of

South Leeds Life defines this term as: A
hustings is a public meeting where voters
can hear the candidates speak and ask
them questions. He recommends holding
your own, with partner organisations.

Beth yw llwyfan etholiad? Diffinia Jeremy

Morton o South Leeds Life y term fel:
Llwyfan etholiad yw cyfarfod cyhoeddus lle
gall pleidleiswyr glywed yr ymgeiswyr yn
siarad a holi cwestiynau iddynt. Argymhella
gynnal un eich hun, gyda sefydliadau
partner.

West Hampstead Life have long hosted

popular hustings events, and the General
Election was no exception. Attended by
hundreds of local voters not to mention
national media, including an off-duty Emily
Maitlis the hustings was well-received on
the night and afterwards on social media.
Founder Jonathan Turton put this down to
brand recognition and a strong relationship
with both candidates and audience alike.
Livestreaming
From established services such as
Audioboom and Google Hangouts, to newkids-on-the-block Periscope and Meerkat,
livestreaming is an important component of
the community journalism toolkit a way to
broadcast information immediately and
cheaply to audiences who are often timepoor.
At London SE1, they used Audioboom
during the General Election to broadcast
interviews with candidates on their views on
everything from same-sex marriage to their
chances for re-election.

Mae West Hampstead Life wedi cynnal

digwyddiadau llwyfan etholiad poblogaidd
ers amser maith, ac nid oedd yr Etholiad
Cyffredinol yn eithriad. Gyda channoedd o
bleidleiswyr lleol yn mynychu heb sn am
gyfryngau cenedlaethol, gan gynnwys
Emily Maitlis nad oedd ar ddyletswydd
cafodd y llwyfan etholiad groeso mawr ar y
noson ac wedi hynny ar gyfryngau
cymdeithasol. Dywedodd y sylfaenydd
Jonathan Turton bod hyn oherwydd
adnabod brand a pherthynas gref gydar
ymgeiswyr ar gynulleidfa fel ei gilydd.
Ffrydio byw
O wasanaethau sefydledig fel Audioboom a
Google Hangouts, i newydd-ddyfodiaid fel
Periscope a Meerkat, mae ffrydio byw yn
gydran bwysig pecyn newyddiaduriaeth
cymunedol ffordd o ddarlledu gwybodaeth
yn syth a rhad i gynulleidfaoedd sydd yn aml
yn brin o amser.
Yn London SE1 defnyddion nhw Audioboom
yn ystod yr Etholiad Cyffredinol i ddarlledu

Meanwhile, West Hampstead Life used

Google Hangouts to record their hustings
event, alongside a better-quality Soundcloud
recording. Although Richmond Noticeboard
suffered technical difficulties in the
livestreaming of their local hustings, a
Storify round-up of tweets allowed their
readers the opportunity to catch up with all
the action.
Follow canvassers
Go on walk-arounds and canvassing trips
with local candidates and write about the
experience. What were people angry about
on their doorsteps? Did the candidates really
engage with the electorate in this way? If
you are planning to try this, ensure that you
ask every candidate if you are able to come
with them to ensure that your reporting is
neutral. Even if you only receive responses
from one or two, you have guarded yourself
against accusations of bias.
Create a Twitter list of your local
candidates and share these with your
audience
Sarah Hartley, who co-founded hyperlocal
Richmond Noticeboard as well as Talk
About Local, has created a Twitter list of
local candidates and has promoted this to
her audience. She says: Following a list,
rather than an individual, means Twitter
users dont need to declare a political
allegiance to their regular followers, if thats
something youd rather treat as private.

A Twitter list of AMs | Rhestr Twitter

cyfweliadau gydag ymgeiswyr ar eu

safbwyntiau ar bopeth, o briodasau un rhyw
iw gobeithion am ail-etholiad.
Yn y cyfamser, defnyddiodd West
Hampstead Life Google Hangouts i gofnodi
eu digwyddiad llwyfan etholiad, ar y cyd
recordiad Soundcloud o ansawdd gwell. Er y
dioddefodd Richmond Noticeboard
anawsterau technegol wrth ffrydio eu dadlau
llwyfan etholiad lleol yn fyw, rhoddodd
casgliad Storify o drydar y cyfle iw
darllenwyr ddal i fyny r holl waith.
Dilyn canfaswyr
Ewch ar grwydr a theithiau canfasio gydag
ymgeiswyr lleol ac ysgrifennwch am y
profiad. Beth oedd yn cythruddo pobl ar
garreg eu drws? Os ydych yn cynllunio
gwneud hyn, sicrhewch eich bod yn holi pob
ymgeisydd os ydych yn gallu dod gyda hwy i
sicrhau bod eich adroddiad yn niwtral. Hyd
yn oed os ydych ond yn derbyn ymatebion
gan un neu ddau, rydych wedi gwarchod
eich hun rhag cyhuddiadau o duedd.
Crwch restr Twitter och ymgeiswyr lleol
a rhannwch y rhain gydach cynulleidfa
Mae Sarah Hartley, a gyd-sylfaenodd
Richmond Noticeboard syn hyperleol
ynghyd Talk About Local, wedi creu rhestr
Twitter o ymgeiswyr lleol ac wedi hyrwyddo
hyn iw chynulleidfa. Dywed: Mae dilyn
rhestr, yn hytrach nag unigolyn, yn golygu
nad oes angen i ddefnyddwyr Twitter
ddatgan teyrngarwch gwleidyddol iw
dilynwyr rheolaidd, os yw hynnyn rhywbeth
yr hoffech ei drin yn hytrach fel peth preifat.

Gauge their social media performance

Sarah has used social media analytics tool
Klout to gauge the social media
performance of her local candidates and
discuss their level of engagement online
with voters. Through doing this, Sarah also
discovered that two of her local candidates
did not even have their own Twitter profiles.
Have a sense of humour
David Higgerson, Digital Publishing Director
at Trinity Mirror, also wrote about the
innovative ways hyperlocal journalists
covered the General Election in 2015.
Among his observations was the use of
humour and informality by community
journalists: As any social media editor will
tell you, writing in a conversational style is
essential if you want to generate
engagement. But writing styles within
articles on mainstream media sites have
moved little from wherever that publication
has its offline roots....Of course, a site which
sets itself up to report an area in an off-beat
manner, can do this without having to cover
everything you would perhaps expect of a
more formal news site, but I think its still a
demonstration of the fact that humour can
be added to a conversational style to help
give a site a bit more personality.
Read the full article for more take-aways
from hyperlocal General Election coverage.

Mesur eu perfformiad ar gyfryngau

cymdeithasol
Mae Sarah wedi defnyddio Klout
sef teclyn analytig cyfryngau cymdeithasol i
fesur perfformiad cyfryngau cymdeithasol ei
hymgeiswyr lleol a thrafod eu lefel o
ymgysylltu ar-lein gyda phleidleiswyr. Trwy
wneud hyn, darganfu Sarah hefyd nad oedd
gan ddau oi hymgeiswyr lleol broffiliau
Twitter eu hunain.
Defnyddiwch hiwmor
Ysgrifennodd David Higgerson,
Cyfarwyddwr Cyhoeddi Digidol yn Trinity
Mirror am y ffyrdd arloesol mae
newyddiadurwyr hyperleol wedi dilyn yr
Etholiad Cyffredinol yn 2015. Ymysg ei
sylwadau roedd defnyddio hiwmor ac
anffurfioldeb gan newyddiadurwyr
cymunedol: Fel y dywed unrhyw olygydd
cyfryngau cymdeithasol wrthych, mae
ysgrifennu mewn arddull sgyrsiol yn
hanfodol os ydych eisiau creu ymgysylltiad.
Ond mae arddulliau ysgrifennu o fewn
erthyglau ar safleoedd cyfryngau prif ffrwd
wedi symud ychydig o ble bynnag maer
cyhoeddiad hwnnw i wreiddiau alllein...Wrth gwrs, gall safle syn sefydlu ei
hun i adrodd am ardal mewn modd
anghonfensiynol wneud hyn heb orfod dilyn
popeth efallai y byddech yn ei ddisgwyl gan
safle newyddion mwy ffurfiol. Ond credaf ei
fod yn parhau i fod yn arddangosiad or ffaith
y gall hiwmor gael ei ychwanegu at arddull
sgyrsiol i helpur safle gael mwy o
bersonoliaeth.
Darllenwch yr erthygl lawn am fwy o
enghreifftiadu hyperleol o'r Etholiad
Cyffredinol.

Tools and tips from mainstream

journalists
Joanna Geary, Head of News Partnerships
at Twitter UK, wrote a useful article on
using Twitter to cover the general election.
Here are some of the highlights:
Boost your Twitter engagement by:
uploading photos with your tweets, tagging
people in those photos in your tweets,
adding a GIF, uploading photos with a filter
(to make them look more attractive),
include a vine with your tweet
Use national hashtags such as
#Wales2016 and keywords such as
politics in your tweets to make these
easily findable by a wider audience
Set up alerts so that you get an SMS
each time a certain account tweets
Suggestions from others at Journalism.co.uks
News:rewired conference include:
Put your audience first - prioritise listening to
them and provide information and resources
that they need.
Dont get lost in data - connect numbers and
statistics with human stories to create
meaningful coverage.
Think mobile when creating content
Tailor stories to different social media
networks and platforms - dont just adopt a
one-size-fits-all approach

Dulliau ac awgrymiadau da gan

newyddiadurwyr prif ffrwd
Mae Joanna Geary, Pennaeth
Partneriaethau Newyddion yn Twitter UK,
wedi ysgrifennu erthygl ddefnyddiol ar
ddefnyddio Twitter i ddilyn etholiadau. Dyma
rai uchafbwyntiau:
Rhowch hwb ich ymgysylltiad ar Twitter:
lanlwytho lluniau gydach trydar, gan dagio
pobl yn y lluniau hynny gydach trydar, gan
ychwanegu GIF, lanlwytho lluniau gyda
hidlydd (iw gwneud i edrych yn fwy
deniadol), rhowch vine gydach trydar
Defnyddiwch hashnodau ac allweddeiriau
fel gwleidyddiaeth yn eich trydar iw
gwneud yn haws i gynulleidfa ehangach
eu darganfod
Gosodwch larwm fel eich bod yn derbyn
neges destun bob tro mae rhyw gyfrif
penodol yn trydar
Mae awgrymiadau gan eraill yng nghynhadledd
Journalism.co.uk News:rewired yn cynnwys:
Rhoi eich cynulleidfa yn gyntaf
blaenoriaethu rhoi gwrandawiad iddynt a rhoi
gwybodaeth ac adnoddau maent eu hangen.
Peidiwch mynd ar goll mewn data
cysylltwch rifau ac ystadegau gyda straeon dyn
ol i greu sylw ystyrlon.
Meddyliwch yn symudol wrth greu cynnwys
Teilwrwch straeon i wahanol rwydweithiau a
llwyfannau cyfryngau cymdeithasol peidiwch
mabwysiadu arddull addas-i-bawb yn unig

Media law | Cyfraith cyfryngau

By | Gan Hannah Scarbrough

In this section we will provide some basic

guidance on the law as it relates to covering
elections. However, if you are unsure of any
feature or story idea, please seek legal
advice before publishing.
As we have mentioned before, impartiality is
key to reporting elections and remaining on
the right side of the law. Some guidelines on
impartiality are enshrined by regulators such
as Ofcom - although the following advice
refers explicitly to commercial broadcasters,
it is a useful rule of thumb for any journalist
covering the election. Section 6 of Ofcoms
Broadcast Code states that:
Due weight must be given to the coverage
of major parties during the election period,
and broadcasters must also consider giving
appropriate coverage to other parties and
independent candidates with significant views
and perspectives (rule6.2)
If a candidate takes part in an item about
his/her particular constituency, or electoral
area, then candidates of each of the major
parties must be offered the opportunity to
take part (rule 6.9)
Broadcaster must offer the opportunity to
take part in constituency or electoral area
reports or discussions, to all candidates
within the constituency or electoral area
representing parties with previous significant
electoral support or where there is evidence
of significant current support, including any
such independent candidate (rule 6.10)
Representation of People Act
The Representation of People Act (1983) is
fundamental knowledge for anyone seeking

Yn yr adran hon fe ddarparwn rhyw

ganllaw sylfaenol ar y gyfraith ai
perthnasedd wrth ddilyn etholiadau. Fodd
bynnag, os ydych yn ansicr o unrhyw
syniad am nodwedd neu stori, ceisiwch
gyngor cyfreithiol cyn cyhoeddi.
Fel y crybwyllwyd gennym or blaen, mae
didueddrwydd yn allweddol i adrodd am
etholiadau a pharhau ar ochr gywir y gyfraith.
Ymgorfforir rhai canllawiau ar ddidueddrwydd
gan reolyddion fel Ofcom. Er bod y cyngor
canlynol yn cyfeirio yn benodol at ddarlledwyr
masnachol, maen gyngor defnyddiol i unrhyw
newyddiadurwr syn dilyn yr etholiad. Dywed
Adran 6 o God Darlledu Ofcom:
Rhaid rhoi pwysau priodol i sylw am bleidiau
amlwg yn ystod y cyfnod etholiad. Ond dylai
darlledwyr ystyried rhoi sylw priodol i bleidiau
ac ymgeiswyr annibynnol gyda barn a
safbwyntiau sylweddol (rheol 6.2)
Os yw ymgeisydd yn cymryd rhan mewn
eitem am ei etholaeth benodol, neu ardal
etholaethol, yna dylai bob ymgeisydd pob
plaid unigol gael cynnig y cyfle i gymryd rhan
(rheol 6.9)
Dylai darlledwyr gynnig y cyfle i gymryd rhan
mewn adroddiadau neu drafodaethau
etholaethol neu etholiadol, i holl ymgeiswyr o
fewn yr etholaeth neu ardal etholiadol syn
cynrychioli pleidiau gyda chefnogaeth
etholiadol sylweddol flaenorol neu lle mae
tystiolaeth o gefnogaeth bresennol sylweddol,
gan gynnwys ymgeisydd annibynnol o
unrhyw fath (rheol 6.10)

to cover an election. Section 106 (1) of the

act makes it illegal to publish a false
statement of fact about the personal
character or conduct of an election
candidate, if the purpose of publishing the
statement is to affect how many votes the
candidate will get. The 1983 act also makes it
an offence to publish a false claim that a
candidate has withdrawn from the election.
Breaching Section 106 could leave the
defendant with a fine of up to 5,000. If the
publisher of false statements is a company
rather than an individual then the companys
directors can face conviction. The
Representation of People Act (1983) also
covers exit polls, it is illegal to publish results
or predictions before the polls have closed.
Please see our Further reading section at
the end of this document for more advice on
media law as it relates to covering an
election.

Deddf Cynrychiolir Bobl

Mae Deddf Cynrychiolir Bobl (1983) yn
wybodaeth sylfaenol i unrhyw un syn ceisio
dilyn etholiad. Mae Adran 106 (1) or ddeddf
yn ei gwneud hin anghyfreithlon i gyhoeddi
datganiad ffug o ffaith ynghylch natur neu
ymddygiad personol ymgeisydd etholiad, os
mair diben o gyhoeddir datganiad yw
effeithio ar sawl pleidlais a gaiff yr
ymgeisydd. Mae deddf 1983 yn ei gwneud
hin drosedd cyhoeddi honiad ffals bod
ymgeisydd wedi tynnu yn l or etholiad. Gall
torri Adran 106 olygu bod y diffynnydd yn
wynebu dirwy o hyd at 5,000. Os yw
cyhoeddwr datganiadau ffug yn gwmni yn
hytrach nag unigolyn yna gall cyfarwyddwyr y
cwmni wynebu collfarn. Mae Deddf
Cynrychiolir Bobl (1983) hefyd yn gofalu am
arolygon barn wrth i bobl adael y gorsafoedd
pleidleisio. Maen anghyfreithlon cyhoeddi
canlyniadau neu ragfynegiadau cyn ir polau
gau.
Gwelwch ein hadran Darllen pellach ar
ddiwedd y ddogfen hon am fwy o gyngor ar
gyfraith cyfryngau gan ei fod yn berthnasol i
ddilyn etholiad.

Polling websites and other useful information

Gwefannau pleidleisio a gwybodaeth ddefnyddiol arall
By | Gan Lleu Williams
In the digital age, information on political
parties, policies and candidates has
become much more accessible than ever
before.

Yn yr oes ddigidol, mae gwybodaeth am

bleidiau, polisau ac ymgeiswyr
gwleidyddol wedi dod yn fwy hygyrch nag
erioed or blaen.

The same can be applied to political polling.

More and more research is being undertaken
online and this has meant that the cost of
polling has reduced over the years. This is in
comparison to the traditional door-knocking
method. As a result we are seeing more and
more polls being published, which is very
useful for psephologists, journalists such as
yourselves and the public alike. In the run up
to the 2016 National Assembly election, here
are some websites which you will find very
useful in providing analysis on what is
happening in Wales:

Gall yr un peth gael ei ddweud am bleidleisio

gwleidyddol. Mae mwy a mwy o ymchwil yn
cael ei wneud ar-lein. Golyga hyn bod cost
pleidleisio wedi gostwng dros y blynyddoedd.
Mae hyn mewn cymhariaeth r dull cnocio
drysau traddodiadol. O ganlyniad gwelwn fwy
a fwy o bleidleisiau yn cael eu cyhoeddi, syn
ddefnyddiol iawn i etholiadegwyr,
newyddiadurwyr fel chi ar cyhoedd fel ei
gilydd. Cyn etholiad Cynulliad Cenedlaethol
2016, dyma rai gwefannau a fydd yn
ddefnyddiol wrth ddarparu dadansoddiad ar
beth syn digwydd yng Nghymru:

The Elections in Wales Blog is an excellent

source of polling data and analysis on a
Welsh level. This site is run by Professor
Roger Scully of the Wales Governance
Centre at Cardiff University. The blog itself is
devoted to the discussions and analysis of
elections and political representation in
Wales. Whilst it is not updated daily, it does
provide a wealth of analysis and data that is
readily available for consumption. The blog
itself contains all the polling data that has
been undertaken in Wales, as well as
Professor Scullys analysis of what it all
means. The site also contains relevant
election results in Wales too.

Mae Blog Etholiadau yng Nghymru yn

ffynhonnell wych o ddata a dadansoddiad
pleidleisio ar lefel Gymreig. Rhedir y safle
gan Yr Athro Roger Scully o Ganolfan
Llywodraethiant Cymru Prifysgol Caerdydd.
Maer blog ei hun yn ymroddedig i drafod a
dadansoddi etholiadau a chynrychiolaeth
wleidyddol yng Nghymru. Er nad ywn cael ei
ddiweddarun ddyddiol, maen darparu
cyfoeth o ddadansoddi a data sydd ar gael
iw defnyddio. Maer blog ei hun yn cynnwys
yr holl ddata pleidleisio sydd wedii ymgymryd
yng Nghymru, ynghyd dadansoddiad Yr
Athro Scully o beth a olyga. Maer safle yn
cynnwys canlyniadau etholiad perthnasol yng
Nghymru hefyd.

You can also find relevant polling data here.

Gallwch hefyd ddod o hyd i ddata pleidleisio

perthnasol yma.

Maniffesto is a recently launched website by

Cardiff Bay based political consultancy
Deryn. The website itself offers all the
political party manifestos for all elections in
Wales since 2001 as well as independent
analysis on different devolved policy areas.
These include matters such as health, the
economy and housing.
Wales 2016 - Vote For Your Future is a
recently launched website by the National
Assembly for Wales Commission. The site is
part of the National Assembly Commissions
campaign to get more people to engage with
the Welsh election than ever before. The site
explains why your vote matters, what powers
are devolved as well as including real life
case studies from voters explaining their
reasons for voting.

Mae Maniffesto yn wefan sydd newydd ei

lansio gan Deryn, ymgynghoriaeth wleidyddol
ym Mae Caerdydd. Maer wefan ei hyn yn
cynnig holl faniffestos pleidiau gwleidyddol
holl etholiadau yng Nghymru ers 2001
ynghyd dadansoddiad annibynnol ar
feysydd polisi datganoledig gwahanol. Maer
rhain yn cynnwys materion megis iechyd, yr
economi a thai.
Mae Cymru 2016 - Pleidleisiwch am eich
Dyfodol yn wefan a lansiwyd yn ddiweddar
gan Gomisiwn Cynulliad Cenedlaethol
Cymru. Maer safle yn rhan o ymgyrch
Comisiwn y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol i gael
mwy o bobl i ymgysylltu ag etholiad Cymru
nag erioed or blaen. Eglurar safle pam bod
eich pleidlais yn golygu cymaint, pa rymoedd
a ddatganolir ynghyd chynnwys
astudiaethau achos bywyd go iawn o
bleidleiswyr yn egluro eu rhesymau am
bleidleisio.

Which issues are devolved? (and which are not?)

Pa faterion a ddatganolir? (a pha swydd ddim?)
By | Gan Lleu Williams
Since 1999 and the formation of the National
Assembly for Wales (as well as the Scottish
Parliament), certain powers have been
devolved to Wales. This means that
responsibility over some policy areas lie in
Wales with the National Assembly for Wales
and the Welsh Government, rather than the
Houses of Parliament and HM Government
in Westminster. Since 2011, the National
Assembly for Wales has primary law-making
powers in relation to the devolved fields.

Ers 1999 a ffurfio Cynulliad Cenedlaethol

Cymru (ynghyd Senedd yr Alban), mae
grymoedd penodol wediu datganoli i Gymru.
Golyga hyn bod cyfrifoldeb dros rai meysydd
polisi yng Nghymru yn nwylo Cynulliad
Cenedlaethol Cymru a Llywodraeth Cymru, yn
hytrach nar T Cyffredin a Llywodraeth EM yn
San Steffan. Ers 2011, mae gan Gynulliad
Cenedlaethol Cymru rymoedd gwneud
deddfau sylfaenol mewn perthynas r
meysydd datganoledig.

The Government of Wales Act 2006 outlines

what powers are devolved to Wales. The
twenty areas of responsibility include:

Mae Deddf Llywodraeth Cymru 2006 yn

amlinellu pa rymoedd a ddatganolir i Gymru.
Maer ugain maes o gyfrifoldeb yn cynnwys:

Agriculture, Forestry, Animals, Plants and

Rural Development
Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings
Culture
Economic Development
Education and Training
Environment
Fire and Rescue Services and Fire Safety
Food
Health and Health Services
Highways and Transport
Housing
Local Government
National Assembly for Wales
Public Administration
Social Welfare
Sport and Recreation
Tourism
Town and Country Planning
Water and Flood Defence
Welsh Language

Addysg a Hyfforddiant
Amaethyddiaeth, Coedwigaeth, Anifeiliaid,
Planhigion a Datblygu Gwledig
Amddiffynfeydd Dr a Llifogydd
Amgylchedd
Bwyd
Cynllunio Trefol a Gwledig
Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru
Chwaraeon a Hamdden
Datblygiad Economaidd
Diwylliant
Gwasanaethau Tn ac Achub a Diogelwch
Tn Gweinyddiaeth Gyhoeddus
Henebion Hynafol ac Adeiladau Hanesyddol
Iaith Gymraeg
Iechyd a Gwasanaethau Iechyd
Lles Cymdeithasol
Llywodraeth Leol
Priffyrdd a Thrafnidiaeth
Tai
Twristiaeth

If a policy area is not specified within one

or more of the areas listed in the Act, or if it
is clearly noted as an exception or
restriction within the Act, then the National
Assembly for Wales cannot legislate on
that matter.

Os na fanylir ar faes polisi o fewn un neu

fwy o feysydd a restrir yn y Ddeddf, neu os
y nodir yn glir fel eithriad neu gyfyngiad o
fewn y Ddeddf, yna ni all Cynulliad
Cenedlaethol Cymru ddeddfu ar y mater
hwnnw.

Whilst those areas are devolved to Wales,

the UK Parliament is responsible for other
matters in relation to Wales. Policy areas
that remain the responsibility of the UK
Parliament and HM Government include:

Tra datganolir y meysydd hynny i Gymru,

mae Llywodraeth y DU yn gyfrifol am
faterion eraill mewn perthynas Chymru.
Mae meysydd polisi syn parhau i fod yn
gyfrifoldeb Llywodraeth y DU a
Llywodraeth EM yn cynnwys:

policing and criminal justice; foreign affairs,

defence and security issues; and
welfare, benefits and social security.
Taxation (apart from powers to set council
tax and business rates)
Fiscal and macroeconomic policy
Policy and public expenditure allocation
across the UK
Block grant funding for UK Government
departments and the devolved
administrations
As with last years General Election, health is
emerging as a key area for debate in the
National Assembly election with it being used
as the political football between Labour and
the Conservatives at a Westminster level. It
is worth remembering that as health is
devolved, and that it is the Welsh
Government, not the UK Government, that
make decisions in this area. This also applies
to the education system in Wales, apart from
school teachers pay and conditions.
Another key matter within this election for
Wales is the devolution settlement itself. The
current arrangement of powers for Wales is
under a process of negotiation at a UK-level,
with parties in Wales calling for more powers
to be devolved. The UK Government is

Plismona a chyfiawnder troseddol;

Materion tramor, amddiffyn a materion
diogelwch; a
Lles, budd-daliadau a diogelwch
cymdeithasol.
Trethu (ar wahn i rymoedd i osod treth
gyngor a chyfraddau busnes)
Polisi cyllidol a macro-economaidd
Dyraniad polisi a gwariant cyhoeddus
ledled y DU
Cyllid grant bloc i adrannau Llywodraeth y
DU ar gweinyddiaethau datganoledig
Fel gydag Etholiad Cyffredinol y llynedd,
mae iechyd yn dod ir amlwg fel maes
allweddol ar gyfer trafodaeth yn etholiad y
Cynulliad Cenedlaethol. Caiff ei ddefnyddio
fel pl-droed wleidyddol rhwng y blaid
Lafur ar Ceidwadwyr yn San Steffan.
Maen werth cofio bod iechyd wedii
ddatganoli, ac mai Llywodraeth Cymru, nid
Llywodraeth y DU, syn gwneud
penderfyniadau yn y maes hwn. Mae hyn
hefyd yn berthnasol ir system addysg yng
Nghymru, ar wahn i gyflog ac amodau
athrawon ysgol. Maes allweddol arall o
fewn yr etholiad hwn i Gymru ywr setliad
datganoli ei hun. Maer trefniant grymoedd
presennol i Gymru dan broses o

currently legislating to change the model of

devolution in Wales as well as devolving
further powers over elections, transport and
energy to Wales. More information on the
Draft Wales Bill , which was tabled in October
2015, can be found on Parliaments website.
The current legislative process has now been
paused following a recent announcement by
the Secretary of State for Wales. It is
expected the process will resume following
further amending work by the Wales Office as
announced on 29 February 2016.

drafodaeth yn y DU, gyda phleidiau yng

Nghymru yn galw am fwy o rymoedd i gael eu
datganoli. Mae Llywodraeth y DU ar hyn o
bryd yn deddfu i newid cynllun datganoli yng
Nghymru ynghyd datganoli grymoedd
pellach o ran etholiadau, trafnidiaeth ac ynni i
Gymru. Ceir mwy o wybodaeth ar Fil Drafft
Cymru, a gyflwynwyd fis Hydref 2015, ar
wefan y Senedd. Maer broses ddeddfu
bresennol wedi cael ysbaid yn dilyn
cyhoeddiad diweddar gan Ysgrifennydd
Gwladol Cymru. Disgwylir y bydd y broses yn
ailddechrau yn dilyn gwaith diwygio pellach
gan y Swyddfa Gymreig fel a gyhoeddwyd ar
29 Chwefror 2016.

How to get in touch with your local candidates

Sut i gysylltu ch ymgeiswyr lleol
By | Gan Sian Powell
Contacting your local candidate or AM, in some
respects, has never been easier. Many are
now regular social media users and are used
to communicating with the media and their
constituents through many different platforms.
In addition to new forms of social media, there
are other ways of contacting your AM, either by
email or over the phone. However, often they
will receive hundreds of emails and therefore
contacting them through social media may be a
better way to ensure an answer.
As a hyperlocal journalist your strength is that
you will be in tune with the issues within the
surrounding area and what the constituents are
particularly worried about. If you contact your
local candidate, try to make it personal by
asking them about their views and opinions on
a local issue.
Make it clear what youre asking of them,
whether its a quote, an interview or just a
quick opinion about a local issue you know is
bothering many people in your area. Do your
research, try to find out as much as you can
about their policies and background in order to
make sure youre asking the right questions.
Your strength as a hyperlocal journalist is that
you have a local readership and therefore will
be able to communicate directly with their
voters and possible constituents. This should
be highlighted when you contact your
candidate to ensure that they appreciate your
reach within the area.

Nid yw cysylltu ch ymgeisydd lleol neu, mewn

rhai achosion, eich AC, erioed wedi bod yn
haws. Mae llawer yn awr yn ddefnyddwyr
cyfryngau cymdeithasol cyson. Maent wedi
arfer cyfathrebu r cyfryngau au hetholwyr
trwy lawer o lwyfannau gwahanol.
Yn ychwanegol at ffurfiau newydd o gyfryngau
cymdeithasol, mae ffyrdd eraill o gysylltu ch
AC, un ai trwy e-bost neu dros y ffn. Fodd
bynnag, yn aml derbyniant gannoedd o
negeseuon e-bost. Felly gall cysylltu hwy
trwy gyfryngau cymdeithasol fod yn ffordd well i
sicrhau ateb.
Fel newyddiadurwr hyperleol eich cryfder yw y
byddwch yn gyfarwydd r materion o fewn eich
cylch a beth maer etholwyr yn pryderu yn
benodol amdanynt. Os cysylltwch ch
ymgeisydd lleol, ceisiwch ei wneud yn bersonol
trwy eu holi am eu safbwyntiau a barn ar fater
lleol.
Byddwch yn eglur am beth ydych yn ei holi:
boed yn ddyfyniad, cyfweliad neu farn sydyn
am fater lleol y gwyddoch syn poeni llawer o
bobl yn eich ardal. Ymchwiliwch, ceisiwch
wybod cymaint ag y gallwch am eu polisau a
chefndir er mwyn sicrhau eich bod yn holir
cwestiynau iawn.
Eich cryfder fel newyddiadurwr hyperleol yw
eich bod darllenwyr lleol ac fellyn gallu
cyfathrebun uniongyrchol u pleidleiswyr ac
etholwyr posibl. Dylid tynnu sylw at hyn pan
gysylltwch ch ymgeisydd i sicrhau ei fod yn
gwerthfawrogi eich cyrhaeddiad o fewn yr
ardal.

Sell yourself (and your reach) | Gwerthwch eich

hun (ach cyrhaeddiad)
By | Gan Hannah Scarbrough
As a community journalist, you serve an
engaged readership who share your news
articles, debate about your Facebook
posts and send their news by tweet.

Fel newyddiadurwr cymunedol, rydych yn

gwasanaethu darllenwyr ymgysylltiol syn
rhannu eich erthyglau newyddion, dadlau
ynghylch eich cyhoeddiadau ar Facebook a
gyrru eu newyddion ar ffurf trydar.

So dont underestimate yourself. When

approaching candidates for a profile, question
or access, arm yourself with positive facts and
statistics about your community news site. For
some, community journalism is sadly still an
unknown quantity, but most candidates will be
receptive to an engaged audience of voters in
their constituency.

Felly peidiwch thanseilio eich hun. Wrth ofyn i

ymgeiswyr am broffil, cwestiwn neu fynediad,
ymbaratowch gyda ffeithiau ac ystadegau positif
ynghylch eich safle newyddion cymunedol. Yn
anffodus, i rai parha newyddiaduriaeth
cymunedol yn anhysbys. Ond byddair rhan fwyaf
o ymgeiswyr yn dderbyniol i gynulleidfa o
bleidleiswyr ymgysylltiol yn eu hetholaeth.

There are several tools you can use (and will

probably be already using) to quantify your
audience:

Mae sawl dull y gallwch ei ddefnyddio (a

byddwch yn eu defnyddio yn barod) i feintoli eich
cynulleidfa:
Google Analytics - the most significant
Google Analytics Y dull mesur mwyaf
measurement tool for any website, Google
sylweddol ar gyfer unrhyw wefan, bydd Google
Analytics will provide you with statistics on
Analytics yn rhoi ystadegau i chi ar ymwelwyr
monthly unique visitors, pageviews,
unigryw misol, ymweliadau tudalennau,
impressions and more (many of these metrics argraffiadau a mwy (maer metrigau hyn yn
are also useful if you are interested in
ddefnyddiol os oes gennych chi ddiddordeb
appealing to advertisers). You can also find
mewn apelio at hysbysesbwyr). Gallwch hefyd
out how many people access your site from a wybod faint o bobl sydd mynediad ich safle ar
smartphone, where they find your site, and
ffn clyfar, lle maent yn dod o hyd ich safle, ac
whereabouts your audience come from. It is
o ble y daw eich cynulleidfa. Mae hefyd yn
also useful to let candidates know how their
ddefnyddiol hysbysu ymgeiswyr yngln ch
profile or bio is performing, which may make
perfformiad neuch proffil, a all eu gwneud yn
them more likely to provide information next
fwy tebygol o ddarparu gwybodaeth y tro nesaf.
Bit.ly - Defnyddiwch bit.ly i wybod sut maech
time.
Bit.ly - Use bit.ly to find out how your links are dolenni yn perfformio. Os ydych yn rhannu
dolen stori newyddion ar gyfryngau
performing. If you share a news story link on
social media or on your website, you can track cymdeithasol neu ar eich gwefan, gallwch
dracior nifer o gliciau y mae hyn yn ei ddenu,
the number of clicks this attracts, which is a
useful metric to present to a candidate. You can sydd yn fetrig defnyddiol iw gyflwyno i
also customise your links with General Election- ymgeisydd. Gallwch addasu eich dolenni gyda
thestun yn benodol i etholiad.
specific text.

 Twitter and Facebooks own Analytics tools Of course, you can showcase your number of
Twitter followers and Facebook likes, which
are often very impressive in their own right.
However, these figures dont tell the whole
story of your social media engagement. For
example, although Rhondda People has 552
likes, using Facebooks Insights dashboard
the team were able to discover that one of their
recent posts was seen by a whopping 18,000
people. In the same vein, Pobl Caerdydd used
Twitter Analytics to find out that their tweets in
July 2014 received over
60,000 impressions. Therefore, be sure to include
your reach as well as the baseline social media
figures when approaching candidates.
There are many other free-to-use tools to
measure your audience and reach, including:
Buffer
Klout
SumAll
FollowerWonk
and many more!

Offer Dadansoddeg Twitter a Facebook - Wrth

gwrs, gallwch arddangos eich nifer o ddilynwyr
Twitter a'r rhai sydd wedi hoffi ar Facebook,
sydd yn aml yn drawiadol iawn yn eu rhinwedd
eu hunain. Fodd bynnag, nid ywr ffigyrau hyn
yn adrodd yr hanes i gyd och ymgysylltiad
cyfryngau cymdeithasol. Er enghraifft, er bod
gan Rhondda People 552 yn ei hoffi, gan
defnyddio dangosfwrdd Insights Facebook
roedd y tm yn gallu gweld bod un ou
cyhoeddiadau diweddaraf wedi cael ei weld
gan 18,000 o bobl. Yn yr un modd, defnyddiodd
Pobl Caerdydd Twitter Analytics i wybod bod
eu trydar fis Gorffennaf 2014 yn derbyn dros
60,000 o argraffiadau. Felly, sicrhewch
gynnwys eich cyrhaeddiad ynghyd ffigyrau
cyfryngau cymdeithasol sylfaenol wrth drin
ymgeiswyr.
Mae llawer o ddulliau sydd am ddim iw
defnyddio i fesur eich cynulleidfa a
chyrhaeddiad, gan gynnwys:
Buffer
Klout
SumAll
FollowerWonk
ymysg llawer mwy!

National Assembly Elections: a timeline

Etholiadaur Cynulliad Cenedlaethol: llinell amser
By | Gan Lleu Williams
Following the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act
which was passed by the last UK coalition
government, the date for this Assembly
election was moved. The National
Assembly elections were due to be held
every four years; this was amended to five
years to ensure there were no clashes with
UK Parliamentary elections. As such, the
date for the National Assembly election has
been known for some time, which is
Thursday 5th May 2016.

Yn dilyn Deddf Seneddau Tymor Penodol a

basiwyd gan lywodraeth glymblaid
ddiwethaf y DU, symudwyd dyddiad
etholiad y Cynulliad hwn. Roedd
etholiadaur Cynulliad Cenedlaethol i fod i
gael eu cynnal bob pedair mlynedd.
Diwygiwyd hyn i bum mlynedd i sicrhau nad
oedd gwrthdaro gydag etholiadau Seneddol
y DU. Fel y cyfryw, mae dyddiad etholiad y
Cynulliad Cenedlaethol wedi bod yn hysbys
am gryn amser, sef Dydd Iau 5ed Mai 2016.

The National Assembly for Wales will

complete its formal work on Friday 18
March as the Assembly rises for Easter
Recess. The National Assembly will go into
dissolution officially on Wednesday 6 April
2016. This means that the current
Assembly will finish. This will also signal the
beginning of the short campaign (once
known as purdah) for the 2016 Welsh
Election. During this period significant
decisions on policy will be postponed until
after the election.

Bydd Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru yn

cwblhau ei waith ffurfiol ar Ddydd Gwener
18 Mawrth wrth ir Cynulliad godi ar gyfer
Toriad y Pasg. Bydd y Cynulliad
Cenedlaethol yn cael ei ddiddymun
swyddogol ar ddydd Mercher 6 Ebrill 2016.
Golyga hyn y bydd y Cynulliad presennol yn
darfod. Bydd hyn hefyd yn nodi dechrau yr
ymgyrch fer (a adwaenid unwaith fel
enciliad) ar gyfer Etholiad Cymru 2016. Yn
ystod y cyfnod hwn gohirir penderfyniadau
arwyddocaol ar bolisi hyd wedir etholiad.

Polling day | Diwrnod pleidleisio

By | Gan Helen Taylor
There are a number of ways you can
report on polling day, depending on what
time and resources you have available,
and what you think would have the most
impact.

Mae nifer o ffyrdd y gallwch adrodd ar

ddiwrnod pleidleisio gan ddibynnu ar yr
amser ar adnoddau sydd ar gael, a beth a
feddyliwch chi a fyddain cael y mwyaf o
effaith.

It is important to remember that you will not

be able to film or photograph within the polling
stations, and that people might not be willing
be share their voting intentions with you. See
below for three aspects of this day might be
useful for you to cover, but this is by no
means exhaustive.

Maen bwysig cofio na fyddwch yn gallu ffilmio

neu dynnu lluniau o fewn y gorsafoedd
pleidleisio, ac na fydd pobl yn barod i rannu
eu bwriadau pleidleisio chi. Gwelwch isod
dair agwedd am y diwrnod hwn a all fod yn
ddefnyddiol i chi eu dilyn. Ond nid yw yn
gynhwysfawr.

1) Reporting on candidates voting

themselves
Candidates will obviously be interested in
promoting themselves on polling day, and are
likely to welcome further coverage of
themselves voting. This also gives them a last
chance to get their message out.

1) Adrodd ar ymgeiswyr yn pleidleisio eu

hunain
Bydd ymgeiswyr yn amlwg diddordeb mewn
hyrwyddo eu hunain ar ddiwrnod pleidleisio.
Maent yn debygol o groesawu sylw pellach
ohonynt yn pleidleisio. Mae hyn hefyd yn rhoi
cyfle olaf iddynt drosglwyddo eu neges.

Party campaign offices could be contacted

about when and where candidates are voting,
and whether they would be willing to allow
you to cover this. As with all coverage, it is
important to get an equal coverage of all main
candidates in order to ensure that you cannot
be accused of bias.

Gellir cysylltu swyddfeydd ymgyrchu

pleidiau ynghylch pryd a lle fydd ymgeiswyr
yn pleidleisio, a pun ai a fyddent yn barod ich
caniatu i ddilyn hyn. Fel gydag unrhyw sylw,
maen bwysig cael sylw cyfartal or holl brif
ymgeiswyr er mwyn sicrhau na chewch eich
cyhuddo o ddangos tuedd.

2) Exit poll
If you have a fair few hours and people
power, an exit poll can be undertaken from a
certain polling station. This will be most useful
in a marginal seat where it is debatable which
candidate will win.

2) Arolwg barn wrth i bobl adael y

gorsafoedd pleidleisio
Os oes gennych ddigon o oriau a hawl y bobl,
gellir ymgymryd ag arolwg barn wrth i bobl
adael rhyw orsaf bleidleisio benodol. Bydd
hyn fwyaf defnyddiol mewn sedd ymylol lle
maen ddadleuol pa ymgeisydd fydd yn ennill.

To do this you can choose a period of a few

hours during polling day, early morning or

I wneud hyn gallwch ddewis cyfnod o ychydig

oriau yn ystod y diwrnod pleidleisio. Mae yn

To do this you can choose a period of a few

hours during polling day, early morning or
early evening is likely to be busiest, and ask
voters when they leave the station how they
have voted. You need to ensure that there is
a representative sample of voters, and with
this you can suggest who is likely to win.

gynnar yn y bore neun gynnar gydar nos yn

debygol o fod y cyfnod prysuraf. Holwch
bleidleiswyr pan adawant yr orsaf beth oedd
eu pleidlais. Mae angen i chi sicrhau bod
samplau cynrychioladol o bleidleiswyr. Gyda
hyn gallwch awgrymu pwy syn debygol o
ennill.

It is important to market this as what it is: a

small sample, not a conclusive result. By
doing this, you can make a suggestion as to
who might win that constituency based on
your exit polling.

Maen bwysig marchnata hyn fel beth ydyw:

sampl fach, nid canlyniad terfynol. Wrth
wneud hyn, gallwch wneud awgrym ynghylch
pwy all ennill yr etholaeth hon yn seiliedig ar
eich arolwg barn wrth i bobl adael y
gorsafoedd pleidleisio.

3) Final canvassing
Campaigners often do final canvassing during
voting day to remind people to vote,
particularly those who have said that will
definitely vote for their party. This can involve
door-knocking and leafleting across the day,
such as at 9am, 12pm, and 5pm to catch all
voters.
Candidates and canvassing teams might be
willing for you to track this process, or parts of
it, and report on it throughout the day. Again
this is dependent on times and resources.
It is unlikely that you will be able to do this for
all candidates, therefore the impartiality issue
is raised again. It is important that you do not
use the reporting to promote a particular
candidate, and legal advice should be
followed in this regard.

3) Canfasio am y tro olaf

Yn aml mae ymgyrchwyr yn canfasio am y tro
olaf yn ystod y diwrnod pleidleisio i atgoffa
pobl i bleidleisio, yn enwedig rhai sydd wedi
dweud y gwnnt yn bendant bleidleisio am eu
plaid hwy. Gall hyn gynnwys cnocio ar
ddrysau a danfon taflenni drwy gydol y dydd,
er enghraifft 9am, 12pm a 5pm i ddal yr holl
bleidleiswyr. Gall ymgeiswyr a thimau
canfasio fod yn barod i chi dracior broses
hon, neu rannau ohoni, ac adrodd amdani
drwy gydol y dydd. Eto, dibynna hyn ar amser
ac adnoddau. Maen annhebygol y byddwch
yn gallu gwneud hyn ar gyfer yr holl
ymgeiswyr, felly maer mater o
ddidueddrwydd yn codi eto. Maen bwysig
nad ydych yn defnyddior adrodd i hyrwyddo
ymgeisydd penodol. Dylid dilyn cyngor
cyfreithiol yn y cyswllt hwn.

Election night and next steps | Noson etholiad ar

camau nesaf
By | Gan Lleu Williams

Again, reporting on election night is

dependent on time and resources. It is
important to balance these with the amount of
impact you are likely to have in reporting the
result of the election real time.
Real time reporting at vote counts can be
important, especially with the advent of Twitter,
over election night. However, the result is unlikely
to be announced until the early hours of the
morning and your audience may all be asleep!
Some people will stay up to follow proceedings,
likely on Twitter - but it is worth considering how
many people in your area this will be.
If you would like to see if you can attend a local
count on election night you could contact the
media officer for the Electoral Commission in
Wales (Laura Ward on 029 2034 6810) who
should be able to give advice on hyperlocal
journalists attending counts.
The process following the National Assembly for
Wales elections slightly differs from that in
Westminster. Once Assembly Members are
elected, they are restricted in their duties until
they have sworn an oath of allegiance to the
Monarch. Once all AMs have done this, the
process of forming the fifth National Assembly for
Wales will begin. This work includes electing the
Presiding and Deputy Presiding Officers, the
nomination of a First Minister to form the
executive, the appointment of commissioners and
committee charts and so forth.

Eto, mae adrodd ar noson etholiad yn

dibynnu ar amser ac adnoddau. Maen
bwysig cydbwysor rhain gyda maint yr
effaith yr ydych yn debygol o gael mewn
adrodd canlyniad yr etholiad mewn
amser go iawn.
Gall adrodd mewn amser go iawn mewn
cyfrifiad fod yn bwysig, yn arbennig gyda
dyfodiad Twitter, dros noson yr etholiad.
Fodd bynnag, maen annhebygol y caiff y
canlyniad ei gyhoeddi cyn oriau mn y bore.
Gall eich cynulleidfa fod wedi cysgu! Gwnaiff
rhai pobl aros ar eu traed i ddilyn y
gweithdrefnau, yn debygol ar Twitter. Ond
maen werth ystyried faint o bobl yn eich
ardal fydd yn gwneud hynny. Os hoffech
weld a allwch fynychu cyfrifiad lleol ar noson
etholiad, gallwch gysylltu swyddog y
cyfryngau y Comisiwn Etholiadol yng
Nghymru (Laura Ward ar 029 2034 6810) a
ddylai allu rhoi cyngor ar newyddiadurwyr
hyperleol yn mynychu cyfrifiadau.
Maer broses syn dilyn etholiadau Cynulliad
Cenedlaethol Cymru ychydig yn wahanol i rai
San Steffan. Unwaith yr etholir Aelodau
Cynulliad, cnt eu cyfyngu yn eu
dyletswyddau hyd nes y byddant wedi tyngu
llw ffyddlondeb ir Brenin/hes. Unwaith y mae
holl ACau wedi gwneud hyn, maer broses o
ffurfio pumed Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru
yn dechrau. Maer gwaith hwn yn cynnwys
ethol y Swyddog Llywyddu ar Dirprwy
Swyddog Llywyddu, enwebu Prif Weinidog i
ffurfior weithrediaeth, penodi comisiynwyr a
siartiau pwyllgor ac yn y blaen.

Conclusion | Casgliad
We hope that this Guide has given you the
confidence and knowledge to cover
the National Assembly for Wales election in
your community and approach your local
candidates. Community journalists have an
important role to play in holding power to
account and informing voters in their local
community, and were looking forward to
seeing how this role is exercised in this
years elections.
If you have any questions about your
coverage, or want to seek advice on a feature
youre planning, get in touch with us in the
following ways:

Gobeithiwn y gwnaiff y Canllaw hwn roir hyder

ar wybodaeth i chi ddilyn etholiad y Cynulliad
Cenedlaethol yn eich cymuned a mynd at eich
ymgeiswyr lleol. Mae gan newyddiadurwyr
cymunedol rl bwysig iw chwarae wrth sicrhau
bod grymoedd yn atebol a hysbysu pleidleiswyr
yn eu cymuned leol. Edrychwn ymlaen at weld
sut y gweithredir y rl hon yn etholiad y
Cynulliad Cenedlaethol eleni.
Os oes gennych unrhyw gwestiynau ynghylch
eich sylw, neu eisiau cael cyngor ar nodwedd
yr ydych yn ei chynllunio, cysylltwch ni trwyr
ffyrdd canlynol:
Trydarwch @C4CJ neu @WalesGovernance

Tweet @C4CJ or @WalesGovernance

Email scarbroughh1@cf.ac.uk or
meesee@cf.ac.uk
Call 029 208 70101

E-bostiwch
scarbroughh1@cf.ac.uk neu
meesee@cf.ac.uk
Ffoniwch 029 208 70101

Good luck with your election

coverage, and keep in
touch!

Pob lwc gydach sylw or

etholiad, a chadwch mewn
cysylltiad!

Further reading | Darllen Pellach

Handbook for Journalists during Elections
Media Law - Reporting Elections
BBCs Election Guidelines
Election night reporting for local newspapers
The Cabinet Manual
Electoral Commissions Media Handbook

Credits | Credydau
Image credits (flickr) | Clod llun y clawr i flickr:
Front cover: Coventry City Council
Page 13: StockMonkeys.com
Page 18: Walt Jabsco