There's quite a lot of discussion in journalism about posts attached to news stories on web sites and whether editors should do away with comments altogether, or at least bar people from posting anonymously.
Here's an interesting story that the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times did as a result of an anonymous post.
What do you think? Is the web a place where anyone should be able to post anything, or would you force posters to register and use real names? Would you do away with posts on all stories, or perhaps some stories?
Spencer Gliko
ReplyDeleteI think they should do away with comments cause i don't want to read people's opinions i want to read the news story.
I think having comments makes the whole news process more personal, and allows you to experience a variety of opinions. However, it can create personal bias to read other takes on an issue, so while I do believe comments are important, they should be kept in a second companion page so they are not forced upon the reader.
ReplyDeleteWe do live in America. And freedom of speech is a right. I don't think anyone's comment should be excluded. Those who want the news can read the article and those who want to read opinions can read the comment boxes. As long as there is a choice to choose between the two i don't think there should be a problem
ReplyDeleteNo one is forced to read the comments that so often accompany a news story online. Freedom of Speech allows us to say what we want, without restriction or censor.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if you are going to use your Freedom of Speech, you god-damn-well better be willing to take responsibility for your words and the impact they have on others. I have no problem with real names being used in comments. Nor do I have a problem with home addresses or phone numbers being given out whenever someone says something particularly cruel. Buy the ticket, take the ride.
Being able to post your opinion on a news story or article on the Web is what makes it such a powerful social networking tool. Most of the time comments are posted at the bottom of the page and reading them is optional. Whether readers can comment on a story should be determined on the seriousness of the topic.
ReplyDeleteThis is a hard topic to discuss, because there are many different perspectives. I think the Internet provides a way to express oneself more fully, which can be a good thing a lot of times, but also terrible, craven thing at other times. I think it's important to allow people to continue posting, because it inspires dialogue. I liked what I read of the column you posted. It caused the site to post an interesting story that probably would have attracted me even if it hadn't been for an assignment.
ReplyDeleteIt's very sad that people can be so offensive, but I think it's also important for the marketplace of ideas to flourish-- so that the rude, insensitive comments of Internet spammers sink to the dregs of the half-full (in my opinion) glass that is the Internet, but, as always, I can be an eternal optimist.
I like your thoughtful comments, everyone. This is a huge issue, particularly for the print media. Broadcast media have not typically had a way for the public to react to stories and even now that many TV sites have web pages, they still don't permit comments. Why do you think that's so?
ReplyDeleteWe'll talk about this some more.