Create a WordPress News Website with the WP News and Scrolling Widgets plugin

It’s no secret that internet platforms are becoming the go-to source for the news. Digital spaces like Twitter and Facebook are flooded with stories from all over the world, with larger organizations (with even larger budgets) getting the majority of the views. 

All organizations have a unique viewpoint. Is your point getting across?

If you’re a writer or an organization wanting to break through the noise, it may be easier to create your own news hub. Enter WordPress.

The free, open-source tool can be used to create any website imaginable. And, with its blogging roots, using the software to create a WordPress news website is a natural next step. 

With the help of the WP News and Scrolling Widgets plugin, you can create a WordPress news website easily while using any WordPress theme. This is perfect for those who already have an established WordPress website, as the plugin allows you to create a news hub without completely redoing your site. 

Also, for those new to WordPress, this plugin will give you the freedom to choose a WordPress theme based on your overall needs instead of just one functionality feature.

Continue reading to learn more about:

• Installing the WP News and Scrolling Widgets Plugin
• Adding News Lists to a Page or Post
  • Creating a News Item
  • Adding a Shortcode to a Page or Post
• Adding a News Widget Using the Widget Area

Installing the WP News and Scrolling Widgets Plugin 

The WP News and Scrolling Widgets plugin for WordPress can be used to attractively display news both within a page or within a widget area. This plugin will allow you to show your news stories directly within your WordPress site – such as industry news, press releases, and more. To install this plugin:

1. Log into your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
3. Search for WP News and Widgets plugin.
4. Click Install then Activate. 

Adding News Lists to a Page or Post 

Once the plugin has been activated, you’ll notice a new option in your left sidebar titled News. Under News, you’ll have the option to view all of your news items, Add News Items, manage Tags and Categories, as well as read a quick tutorial under How It Works. 

In addition to following our instructions below, we also encourage you to review the shortcode options under How It Works. You will need to add a shortcode of your choice to the page or post where you would like your news items to be displayed.

However, before you can add a shortcode to a page or post, you must first create a news item under News > Add News Item.

Creating a News Item

The simplicity of the WP News and Scrolling Widgets plugin comes from its replicated WordPress workflow. The plugin’s News section is simply a new custom post type. You can easily add new items to this area the same way you would add regular posts to Posts > Add New. To add a news item:

1. Navigate to News > Add News Item.
2. Add your content to the WordPress editor as you would a normal post or page.
3. You can also add and select a category and/or tag(s) for the news item if you wish. 
4. Click Publish to save your news post.

Repeat the above to add all of your news posts. If you need to separate your news content by category, it may be easier to create the categories first by navigating to News > Category. 

Adding a Shortcode to a Page or Post

After creating your news items, you can add them to a page or post via a shortcode. The main shortcodes to display all posts (no matter which category they are under) vary per layout. The free version of this plugin provides a list view and 3 grid views (screenshots below). 

You can also use category-specific shortcodes to display items under particular news categories. You can grab those shortcodes on News > Category page.

To add your news items to a page or post:

1. Create or edit a page in WordPress.
2. Click on the + sign in the upper left or within the edit screen, then add a Shortcode block.
3. Copy and paste the shortcode into the block.
4. Click Publish or Update to save your changes.

Adding a News Widget Using the Widget Area

Just as the name of the plugin suggests, this plugin also comes with widgets. You can easily add a news widget to one of your widget areas by:

1. Navigating to Appearance > Widgets.
2. Under Available Widgets, choose between the three newly added new widgets, then drag and drop one into a widget area on the right.
3. Once under the widget area, configure the widget (select the number of items to show, specific categories, etc), then click Save to add the widget.

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