From the Rose Law Group Reporter Growlery
By Phil Riske | Senior Reporter/Writer
I was stunned when I read a story last week in Prescott’s The Daily Courier that it killed reader comments on stories published on its Websites today, Jan. 15.
“The move comes in the wake of mounting evidence that when readers are allowed to leave comments on news stories the comments may sway public perception of the stories’ content,” said Richard Haddad, news content director.
You’ve got to be kidding, Mr. Haddad.
If nothing else, providing readers the opportunity to comment on stories can broaden the understanding of a news article and a reader might even correct an inaccuracy in a story.
The Courier’s action makes one wonder if it’s afraid of negative comments about the paper’s coverage or about the reporters themselves.
We discussed “fake news” in an earlier column, but if the newspaper is worried about a reader spreading bogus facts, all it has to do is screen the comments section and disallow any questionable remarks — not prohibit all comments.
That’s journalistic arrogance at a time when the news media struggle to get their image above that of used car salesmen.
Worse, it’s severing the relationship between a business and its customers.
With our opposition to prohibiting reader comments, however, we might be swimming upstream, but so be it. The Chicago Sun-Times did away with article comments a few years back, as did CNN, and more recently NPR. Bloomberg, USA Today.
Just as a reporter must police facts from fiction, news media should police reader comments, but allow them to flow.
Rose Law Group Reporter screens its comments section for troublesome remarks (which rarely occur). So feel welcomed to react to this and all of our content.
