Arizona Daily Star Rethinks Reader Comments

James Joyner | Monday, December 18, 2006

Another newspaper has tried to go blog-style with its online addition, adding reader comments sections, only to quickly discover the drawbacks.

Star executive editor Bobbie Jo Buel says the paper had hoped for “tough but respectful debate” in the comments area, but “instead of offering constructive criticism, too many posts are just plain coarse.” The Star may limit the number of stories that readers can comment on “as a way to help maintain civility.”

Shocking. Unless, of course, you’re spent more than 15 minutes on the Internet.

About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.

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Tags | James Joyner, Media civility

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