Enabling comments on stories
Many readers know I have a love-hate relationship with comments. I have come to terms with it all. I sent this to the staff today:
It has been a long time coming, but I'm pleased to tell you officially that we have begun enabling comments on some stories on the Web site. As soon as the testing is complete, most stories will allow comments from Web visitors.
That gives us one more way to talk with, listen to and help our readers, to say nothing of letting them help us. As you know, our ultimate goal is to help build a community of people who want to talk with each other in a safe, civil environment. As the local newspaper, we can provide that.
Here's what it means to you.
Your ownership of your story doesn't end when it is published. You have introduced the story into the community, and you maintain some responsibility for hosting the conversation.
When you participate in the conversation -- answering questions, correcting assumptions, acknowledging commenter corrections of you, and encouraging people to help you -- you show you care about your story and the community. It also gives the discussion more credibility because people know that the person who wrote the story is there to talk with.
We do not expect the toxic atmosphere that you may have read about elsewhere taking over the site. As the host of the Debatables blog for the last year, I can assure you that 99% of the comments are not only worth publishing, but they also provoke a good discussion.
Remember John Lennon: "The love you take is equal to the love you make." So be professional and respectful. Your civility will be contagious. If you have a problem with a comment or a commenter violating our terms of service, holler. We aren't afraid of deleting offensive comments or banning violators and trolls, if it comes to that.
My expectation is that when you're working in the office you check your story for comments throughout the day. More likely, you’ll be in and out all day. At a minimum, check in before you leave for the day. (Unlike the blogs, you won't get an e-mail every time someone leaves a comment.) You don't have to respond every time a comment is left, but don't be a wallflower, either.
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Questions?
Comments (7)
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"Remember John Lennon: "The love you take is equal to the love you make."
Actually, it was Paul McCartney who said that. John Lennon said "All you need is love".
Just nitpickin'
Posted on November 14, 2008 10:57 AM
Glad to see the NR doing this. My hometown's paper does this and the discussions get very interesting.
Posted on November 14, 2008 12:28 PM
Will you be making a comment or providing opinion about the EEOC lawsuit filed by the Greensboro Police officers listed in the Rhino yesterday? I was wondering why the N&R has not reported or commented on the public records request made by the Rhino. I understand that such information may not have been public record - will the N&R report on the legality in which the Rhino received this information.
Thank you!
Posted on November 14, 2008 2:18 PM
I'm not planning any comment on the listing of names reported by the Rhino. We wouldn't normally report on any public records request made by the Rhino.
Posted on November 14, 2008 9:41 PM
Canada Dry
Posted on November 15, 2008 9:44 AM
Okay, thanks.
At one time the N&R found the EEOC lawsuit by the police officers newsworthy. Now that the identities of the officers involved in the suit have been made public, it would be interesting to read about it from the view point of the N&R. I'm probably wrong, but it appears to me that the N&R wants to stay as far away from this issue as it possibly can. If I am correct, will you provide insight as to why the N&R has no comment? I respect your publication and am just curious as to why the N&R is avoiding what I deem to be a very newsworthly matter.
As far as the N&R not being interested in any public records requests from the Rhino, I believe I remember "The Inside Scoop" submitting a document request to the city and not being given the document. However, the Rhino was able to retrieve the document and published it on the Rhino's front page. The Inside Scoop was concerned about the public records request made by the Rhino at that time.
Posted on November 17, 2008 4:32 PM
I don't know that the identities of the officers is that big a deal right now. When the suit is settled, perhaps. The Rhino feels differently, which is its right.
Inside Scoop writes about it here.
A lot of people make public records requests of city, county and federal government. We don't write about them and don't think the Rhino "needs" us to write about its. If the request is successful and turns up information worth pursuing, we'll pursue it. Naturally, what one publication deems worth pursuing and what another does may be different.
Posted on November 17, 2008 4:40 PM