Create content

Create an author

What's inside this article:


Basic information

This article explains how to create a new author from Pangea CMS. After you create a new author:

  • A bio page for the author is published automatically on the public site (you cannot create an author without a bio page).
  • The author is added to the "Authors" list for your site in Pangea CMS. This lets you add the author to content pages published by your site.

NOTE: An author created by your site can only be used by your site. If the same author produces content for multiple sites, the author needs to be created separately by each site.



Get started

To get started creating a new author, use one of the methods below:


Authors list

To create a new author from the Authors list:

  1. Go to Settings > Authors.
  2. Select + Add new.


Edit page for text content

You can create a new author via Upload > Author while you edit a text content page in Pangea CMS.

A separate dialog opens with the author settings, so you do not lose any unsaved work. This option is useful if you are editing content, and you cannot find the author you need on the list of authors.

You can create a new author while you edit the following text content pages in Pangea CMS:

  • Article | Blog | FactCheck | Feature | Feature story | Live blog | News | Transcript



Add author settings

The following settings are available:


Names

Various "name" fields are provided. These fields all serve different purposes. The only required field is "Last name". Find an overview of the different options below:

  • Last name (required): The real last name of the author. If the author does not have separated first and last names, enter the name here. The last name is displayed on the public site if a "pen name" is not set.
  • First name: The real first name of the author. The first name is displayed on the public site if a "pen name" is not set.
  • Pen name: The author's pen name (or alias). This option is useful if the author needs to remain anonymous. If a pen name is set, the pen name is displayed on the public site instead of the author's real name. To set the pen name, it is essential to tick Replace first / last name. If this option is not ticked, the pen name is only displayed internally in Pangea CMS.
  • English name: The anglicized version of the author's name. This option is useful if the name uses non-Latin script (for example, Cyrillic). The English name is only displayed internally in Pangea CMS. The English name is searchable in CMS and is helpful for CMS users who cannot read your local language.


Contributor ID

NOTE: The Contributor ID field is redundant for all entities except RFE/RL.

Under Contributor ID, optionally enter a valid contributor ID.

If a valid contributor ID is provided, it is possible to assign the author to a piece of content as a contributor. Contributor names are visible internally for payroll, but the names are not displayed or used anywhere on the public site.

NOTE: If you need a Contributor ID, contact the RFE/RL Finance Department.


Email

Under Email, optionally provide a contact email address. If you tick Display Email, the email address is displayed on the public site. Otherwise, the email address is only displayed internally in Pangea CMS.

When Display Email is ticked, the email address is displayed:

Tick Display email only if the author is happy to receive comment and opinion from readers.


Facebook username and X (Twitter) handle

Optionally provide links to social media profiles. On the public site, links to the profiles are available:

Under Facebook username, optionally enter the username for the author's Facebook profile.

Under X (Twitter) handle, optionally enter the handle (without @) for the author's X (Twitter) profile.

The username / handle is available at the end of the public URL for the profile.


Highlight author

If you tick Highlight author, an author highlight box is automatically displayed on text content pages where the author is added.

To learn more about author highlight boxes, see the following article:

If you enable Highlight author, ensure you also add a Short description. Otherwise, the highlight box will not include a description.


Generate content

The Generate content setting is ticked by default.

Keep this option ticked to enable the following behavior:

To learn more about content links on author bio pages, see the following article:


Description

Under Description, provide a description / biography. The description is displayed on the author bio page. Although it is not required, we strongly recommend providing a description for every author.

Write the description in third person. At minimum, include the author name (or pen name), job title, and the organization they represent, for example:

  • John Doe is a correspondent for RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service.

You might additionally mention:

  • Specific experience and expertise
  • Work history / professional background
  • Interests
  • Special projects
  • Educational background and relevant qualifications
  • Special awards and achievements

IMPORTANT: Only include information that the author is happy to share. If the author needs to remain anonymous, ensure you do not include information that might identify the author personally.


Image

The image represents the author on the public site.

NOTE: Before you can select an image, the image must be uploaded manually to Pangea CMS.

You might use a real photo. If the author needs to remain anonymous, use your service logo. If you do not select an image, a generic avatar is displayed on the public site (shown below).


Short description

Under Short description, optionally provide a summarized version of the Description. Ideally, the short description should include no more than 2-3 sentences.

NOTE: If the main author description is relatively short, you might use the same text for the Description and Short description. However, you need to manually add the text in both boxes.

The short description is not directly visible on the author bio page. Instead, it serves the following purposes:



Preview the bio page

Before you save the new author, you can preview how the author bio page will look on the public site.

Under Preview, check how the page will look on devices with different screen sizes. The preview includes unsaved changes.

NOTE: You cannot use the preview until the Last name field is filled. This is the only required field in the author settings.



Set the author status

The following options are available in the Status drop-down menu:

  • Active: An active author can be added to content pages. When you run a search in Pangea CMS, active authors can be added as search filters.
  • Inactive: An inactive author cannot be added to new content pages. When you run a search in Pangea CMS, inactive authors cannot be added as search filters.

If you change the status of an author from Active to Inactive, the author name is not removed from previous content pages. The author bio page also remains published. The purpose of the Inactive status is to stop the author from being added to new content pages (for example, if the author no longer works for your organization).



Save changes

Hit Save or Save & close to publish your changes.



Learn more

The following articles might be helpful: