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Can News Web Sites Handle Reader Comments?

http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Neena/ns%20120209%20comments.mp3

A Connecticut news web site, lauded for its online commenting policy, has stopped taking comments indefinitely. WNPR’s Neena Satija reports that’s prompted widespread debate about the future of free-for-all reader discussions online.

When the New Haven Independent began publishing online in 2005, editor Paul Bass took a different tack than most news web sites – he made sure a member of his staff looked at every comment before it went online to weed out anything inappropriate. That policy became the model for many news web sites.

BASS: “We felt we should take responsibility. It’s just like letters to the editor in a print paper. You’re publishing it, you’re responsible.”

The Independent has since become known for the spirited discussions provoked by its stories that were published in the comments section. But after Bass accidentally let a particularly hateful comment through and didn’t realize he’d done so until hours later, he decided to suspend comments entirely. He’s not sure when, or if, they’ll be coming back.

BASS: “And if we at a small news site can’t do a good enough job of keeping the conversation civil despite our best efforts, then maybe that’s not our job anymore.”

Bass and his editors moderated hundreds of comments that would come through the site each day, and he wondered if their time might be better spent reporting. Matt DeRienzo, editor of the New Haven Register, strongly disagrees. He says he was shocked to see comments disabled on the site.

DERIENZO: “It was jarring because Paul’s site was built on community engagement, and he does it better than anybody else in my opinion.”

The Register used to let all comments through without moderation unless they were flagged by readers, a policy that was heavily criticized. So in November, DeRienzo oversaw a change in the policy to reflect that of the New Haven Independent. Now, the job of moderating comments rests with 10 different editors on a rotating basis. It’s a lot of extra work, he says – especially with what he calls “grey area” comments.

DERIENZO: “if you say, that proposal that the mayor had was stupid. Ok, that’s OK to say, right? And then the next person ‘yeah, the mayor’s stupid.’ And then the next person says, ‘yeah, you’re stupid.’ And then the next person says ‘well, you’re all morons.” At what point in that string do you stop – do you draw the line?”

Still, DeRienzo thinks the extra work is worth it. He said The Register gets 300-600 comments a day and that number has not decreased since the comments policy changed. Nor has traffic on the site gone down. Bass said it’s too early to tell if traffic on the Independent’s site will go down if comments aren’t reinstated, but that wouldn’t affect his decision. In fact, he says he’s happy with the aftermath of the policy change.

BASS: “The day after we stopped taking comments, great discussions were popping up everywhere all over the web on social media sties, and it was more civil than we’ve usually had which is kind of interesting.”

Perhaps, Bass says, it’s time for news sites to get out of the business of monitoring online discussion and focus more on newsgathering and reporting. For WNPR, I’m Neena Satija.

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