Web Views: Let them Comment

By Anita Malik
April 21, 2008 12:12 PM

They’re knowledgeable and resourceful. They break news and stimulate dialogue. And according to the BIGresearch Simultaneous Media Survey, they make less than the general population but on average are better educated.

No, I’m not describing reporters, though I very well could be.

For all our angst over new media and blogging encroaching on what we call “real” journalism, bloggers are not so different from us. And that’s why many of us now wear both hats, with newspapers relying on blogs to break news and provide immediacy.

But while the true blogger thrives off of the Net’s conversational nature, the true journalist is a bit tentative.

At a recent “New Business Coverage” workshop hosted by The Dallas Morning News and sponsored by The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism, the question of how to handle comments on both blogs and articles was a hot topic. 

Scott Nishimura, business editor, of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram said comments can be a chore. Pointing to a recent story that received a surge of traffic after a mention on The Drudge Report, Nishimura said comment moderation took four hours. 

With few resources to handle such labor, many smaller organizations have opted to do away with commenting altogether. And while they may save now, it could cost them in readership over the long run.

Dan Gillmor, a leader in citizen-based journalism and director of the Knight Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship, was a presenter at the Dallas workshop. He cautioned attendees that, while newspapers are making good use of blogs for 24/7 coverage, they must not forget or shy away from the conversational nature of the Net.

Debbie Weil, former journalist and blogging consultant, agrees. In a recent phone interview, Weil said that by not enabling crowd sourcing we are giving the impression that we don’t really care what our readers think.

“It’s a dangerous mindset,” said Weil.

She notes that there is already a fair amount of distrust of mainstream media. Not allowing comments only exacerbates the problem.

“Why would you not want the feedback?” Weil asks. Afraid of what commenters might say? Too bad. Weil says get over it and develop a thick skin.

Technology is a poor excuse too.

“This is so simple; it has nothing do with technology. It is about the newspaper’s philosophy,” said Weil.

Reader dialogue should be viewed as a way to enrich the flow of information. Admittedly, the “information” can sometimes be more distracting than helpful, but Weil said it is perfectly acceptable to moderate comments. It may not always be practical, but consider putting them on a delay so comments can be reviewed in advance. There are scores of tools to help streamline this job such as keyword-based spam filters. A little research to find a compatible program is worth the effort.

Consider also how much information you will share about the readers posting on your site. Can a reader link to a poster’s information or other posts?

“People are pretty sensible. If they sense someone is a nutcase, they may still read the negative comments, but they will dismiss them,” said Weil. “Let other readers police content. Often times, they will tell a stupid commenter to shut up.”

Each organization must find its own balance when it comes to comments, but the bottom line is the same: Let them comment.

“It’s messy,” said Weil. “But that’s what social media is all about and that is what Web 2.0 is about. You have to get comfortable with it. It’s not going away.”

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Copyright © 2008 Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism