As anyone who reads online news stories knows, the comments section is the Wild West of the World Wide Web. The following scenario is not improbable:

A simple story about a local lottery winner leads to comments about immigration, which leads to rants about race relations and, ultimately, an indictment of the current administration (regardless of who is in office).

It seems people feel free to say whatever they want, no matter how hurtful, when they can hide behind a pseudonym. They might not always have that luxury. One Louisiana government official recently sued the The Times-Picayune in New Orleans to get the names of anonymous commenters whom he says defamed his name, though the paper is resisting.

What's the Solution?

Reader reactions have become engrained with online content and are now expected. The challenge for media outlets is to balance the objectivity of their journalism with the passionate responses of their readers.

Newspapers across the country have been experimenting with different solutions for years, including:

• Moderating all comments
• Requiring registration (and real names)
• Leaving an open forum to help clear them of liability
• Closing comments altogether

The Star Tribune in Minneapolis decided to close comments on the types of stories that seem to attract commentary lacking in civility.

The Washington Post is working on a different solution to filter out the noise. The first time anyone leaves a comment, a moderator would review it and assign it to a tier. Over time, those who stay on topic, are courteous and provide their real names will become “trusted commenters.” Theirs would be the only comments visible on a given article. If readers want to see the off-topic or inflammatory comments, they’d click on a button to access that tier.

Implications for Public Relations

PR professionals should pay attention to the comments section—and how it’s moderated—for several reasons: 

• Comments give you a feel for what people are saying about your client/company/brand. Just be sure to take those comments with a block of salt, especially if they’re not moderated.
• It gives you the opportunity to respond. If the reporter gets a fact wrong, noting that in the comment section is an immediate way to clarify. Rumors sometimes fly in the comments, and you can interact directly by providing the correct information. Just be sure to clearly state who you are (and who you're working for).
• Reporters and editors are paying attention. The editor of a local magazine told us recently that they watch the comments and sometimes follow up on leads if it appears the commenter has inside information or a unique perspective.

And a Final Note

And finally a note to media websites, please make it possible to read all comments in a single page. On most sites, stories that attract a lot of comments require readers to scroll through dozens of pages to view them all. We know you're trying to increase page views, but you're also making it difficult for your readers. There has to be a better balance.

How do you think newspapers should balance the benefits of fostering an online community with the downside of idle, and often offensive, chatter?

About the Author

Nikki Klemmer is an account supervisor at Atkinson Public Relations.

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