Long after the statement below appeared on The Union’s website, the newspaper — and others in the Nevada-based Swift chain — are polling online readers (poll questions further down).
“Dear Readers,
We are working to make this feature of our website better meet the preferences and standards of our readers and our publication. In the interim, we are pausing commenting on our website. We continue to encourage emails and letters from you to our staff and editor.
Thank you!”
The poll questions are here:
1. I consider reader comments to be an essential feature of this website:
•Strongly Agree
•Agree
•Neither Agree nor Disagree
•Disagree
•Strongly Disagree
2. The quality of the comments from readers on this website in general:
•Entice me to read more articles and the comments on them
•Discourage me from reading articles and sharing articles with friends and family
•I do not read the comments to articles on this website
Other (please specify)
3. How often do you leave a comment on this website?
•Daily
•Once a week
•Once a month
•A few each year
•Never
4. Please provide any additional feedback on the role of comments on this website and/or your experience with the commenting tool.
Please provide any additional feedback on the role of comments on this website and/or your experience with the commenting tool.”
In the era of Facebook and booming social media, I find it odd that you would question the value of interacting with your readers. As for monitoring the comments and assigning a policy, that’s the responsibility of media outlet.
I’m proud to say we do not have any such issues on Sierra Foothills Report, though I did see “dirtmover” commenting on Russ Steele’s blog.
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@Jeff. When I first saw this headline, I thought that it was the Onion.
Shhhh….don’t tell em about the internets, it might wake them…Kate
Don’t know about anyone else, but I think I’ll keep on tweeting and not hold my breath for The Union to play catch-up, especially if they’re selling parts of it. Kate