Allowing readers to make comments is one of the beauty of the digital media. Comments not only increase the popularity of your media but also engage them and help make it possible for direct communications between the media organisation and readers. Allow to make comments but do not allow to misuse it.
DEMOCRATIC DEBATE
One of the objectives of the comments is to make a civil and democratic debate on the issue. Make it more interactive and effective two way communications. That helps make society more democratic and exercise freedom. Comments help to proide instant feedback from the readers so the news organsiation can ammend the way they are presenting news and articles, add some new features in accordance with the interests of readers that increases page views and generate additional revenue for the news organsiation. It is the ornament of the media and society where debates are discussed in an open, lively, free and democratic manner.
" CESSPOOL"
However, there are many drawback of comments. Readers post offensive and unsolicitated comments. They violate journalistic rules and ethics. Abusive words and languages are used in the comments. Comments are posted unanimously. The comments are unrelated to the topic. Ethnic, racial, religious and politically motivated hatred comments are posted. Look this Nepali news site where more than 75 comments are posted within a few hours time. This is about the speech of a Communist (Maoists) leader's speech against the prime minister of Nepal. Almost all the comments are politically motivated and abusive languages are used. It is not only against the journalistic ethics, norms and values but also against social norms and law. Though the readers need registration (at least name and email), the comments are real "cesspool."
I have worked in news agencies and newspapers most of the time so comments were not allowed except letter to the editor column. This is published after editing. However, I worked for one of the news site http://www.outlooknepal.com/, a very popular site among the Nepalese and South Asian diaspora in the UK, which is now closed, used to be full of unsolicited comments with adverts of viagra and so on. The founders of the news site later decided not to allow comments.
WHAT MEASURES?
It is essential to make sure that comments are made in accordance with the ethics and norms. Flagging, filtering, limiting and making registration compulsory for comments is appropriate to control "cesspool " comments like this Guardian newspaper does. However, I prefer moderation of comments if the news site can afford.
RESTRICTING FREEDOM?
Not allowing comment is not restricting freedom. Comment is an extra feature and it is the choice of the news organisation to allow or not. It is better to restrict comments than allow freely without following any ethics, norms and guidelines. Comments must be related to the topic and should be free from hatredness, insult and abusive words and language.
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Hi,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that not allowing comments is not restricting freedom. However I believe that allowing comments with moderation is a better way to deal with it.
Terry
As Terry, I agree with your conclusion. But is it not possible to have a "contract" with the reader ? The website or the blog gives him the possiblity to leave a comment. So the reader could agree not to exceed some "moral" limits (racism, insult,...) in his comments.
ReplyDeleteHere is an analogy: not allowing feedback from readers is like not allowing teachers and students to exchange views, or not allowing patients and doctors share information. There will be very little progress when there is only one-way communication. You are right saying that comments feature is one of the beauties of digital media.
ReplyDeleteChiran, you raise some very interesting points but I have to agree with Ruzanna. Comments, however stupid they are, is one of the beauties of digital media.
ReplyDeleteWe are living in a rapidly changing world and traditional media no longer holds the place that it once did, feedbacks and comments add a new and exciting element to the media.
i love watching CNN when they have the viewer's comments! Even though I disagree with much of what is said, it gives me food for thought.
Well written blog post!
Thank you Terry for your comments. There are certainly many ways of dealing with the contents but I think moderation is the best way to deal it properly.
ReplyDeleteSocial media sites like www.allvoices.com and www.helium.com filter the contents and publish it. That is also effective.
Thanks
I completely agree with you Sebastien. You made an interesting new comment about "contract" with the readers about posting their comments.
ReplyDeleteOf course, there is no possibility of signing a "contract" with the comment writers except to remind and inform them about the limit they can express in the comments without violating the basic norms of the publication.
Thank you very much for the comments.
Thank you Ruzanna for the clear and to the point comments.
ReplyDeleteI still think, comment is the beauty of the digital media. It is not the compulsory feature but additional feature so the media organisation can provide such features being within the limitation of the ethical values and norms or not if they cannot manage comments properly.
I welcome your comments and appreciate.
Shalom and thank you for your comments Ruth.
ReplyDeleteComments are certainly the ornaments of the story making it more beautiful and lively only if it is appropriately managed or moderated.
Unsolicited and unethical comments presented in a news site which I have mentioned in my blog are real "cesspool."
Though I am a staunch advocate of democracy and freedom, I do not see any points of such comments which are not related to the story, unethical, use abusive language and are published with a feeling of hatredness.
I think ideas and opinions should be given freedom to express like John Milton advocated 400 years ago in Areopagitica. In view of the comments made in some news media where comments are published without following any guidelines and moderation,I think it is better to restrict such comments rather than publish in the name of adding new features.
Thank you very much for the interesting comments you have made in my blog.