Have you ever wondered if there is value in commenters identifying themselves? Or do you struggle with verifying the facts and stories your commenters post? How can we authenticate what they say if we don’t know who they are?
In the previous section, I highlighted research showing commenters are more civil when commenting on Facebook and less civil when their comments are anonymous. Many websites have started requiring readers to register if they wish to comment.
In APME’s survey, news organizations that accepted anonymous comments and those that did not were about split, with the former at nearly 46 percent and the latter at nearly 54 percent.
Research suggests linking a commenter to his social media profile can cut down on incivility. Is this the solution, or a “quick fix,” asks Dooling, a community strategist who has worked with The Huffington Post, Salon.com and Yahoo.
“The better thing to do is to verify what someone knows, not the name someone goes by. Our fear of anonymity is an extension of our fear of the unknown,” she wrote. “To enable real names for all commenters, you leave your civil readers open to cyber-bullying on multiple outlets, and real-life danger and you’ve mistakenly created a dangerous and antagonizing forum.”
Dooling discusses what Reddit’s “r/science” subreddit forum did to fix the “spread of misinformation” being posted, while still allowing its commenters to remain anonymous. r/science raises comments posted by scientists and known researchers to highlight meaningful and informed discussions. A member must have a degree in one of the related fields of study and must send moderators a photo of their diploma, a verifiable email address or a business card. All proof is only seen by moderators, and it is never made public.
However, as discussed earlier, anonymity can leave websites subject to trolls. Additionally, as Popular Science noted, studies have shown comments can influence readers’ perception of the news.
In a recent experiment, Kevin Wallsten, associate political science professor at California State University, and Melinda Tarsi, assistant political science professor at Bridgewater State University, found that Internet users became “significantly more negative” toward USA Today when “exposed to a story” with an anonymous comments section.” Furthermore, they found that it did not matter whether the comments praised or criticized the media, the negativity remained.
Have you ever wondered if there is value in commenters identifying themselves? Or do you struggle with verifying the facts and stories your commenters post? How can we authenticate what they say if we don’t know who they are?
In the previous section, I highlighted research showing commenters are more civil when commenting on Facebook and less civil when their comments are anonymous. Many websites have started requiring readers to register if they wish to comment.
In APME’s survey, news organizations that accepted anonymous comments and those that did not were about split, with the former at nearly 46 percent and the latter at nearly 54 percent.
Research suggests linking a commenter to his social media profile can cut down on incivility. Is this the solution, or a “quick fix,” asks Dooling, a community strategist who has worked with The Huffington Post, Salon.com and Yahoo.
“The better thing to do is to verify what someone knows, not the name someone goes by. Our fear of anonymity is an extension of our fear of the unknown,” she wrote. “To enable real names for all commenters, you leave your civil readers open to cyber-bullying on multiple outlets, and real-life danger and you’ve mistakenly created a dangerous and antagonizing forum.”
Dooling discusses what Reddit’s “r/science” subreddit forum did to fix the “spread of misinformation” being posted, while still allowing its commenters to remain anonymous. r/science raises comments posted by scientists and known researchers to highlight meaningful and informed discussions. A member must have a degree in one of the related fields of study and must send moderators a photo of their diploma, a verifiable email address or a business card. All proof is only seen by moderators, and it is never made public.
However, as discussed earlier, anonymity can leave websites subject to trolls. Additionally, as Popular Science noted, studies have shown comments can influence readers’ perception of the news.
In a recent experiment, Kevin Wallsten, associate political science professor at California State University, and Melinda Tarsi, assistant political science professor at Bridgewater State University, found that Internet users became “significantly more negative” toward USA Today when “exposed to a story” with an anonymous comments section.” Furthermore, they found that it did not matter whether the comments praised or criticized the media, the negativity remained.
Share with your network
How to choose a commenting platform
How to choose a commenting platform for news sites
Where to begin when choosing a commenting platform
Understanding your options for commenting platforms
How to shape the nature of the comments posted on your website
How to handle anonymity and authenticity in your commenting platform
How to manage the resources you devote to managing reader comments
You also might be interested in:
Before you try the next good idea, interrogate it
Create capacity by getting better at knowing what deserves your limited attention, what you need to learn next and how little you may need to spend to learn it.
Organizational resilience is built through everyday practice
Through working with local news organizations and teams via coaching, programs and research, the American Press Institute has seen how outlets build resilience through interpreting data and evidence together, making informed decisions and adapting to what isn’t working.
4 ways news leaders can guide AI adoption
When the tools, economics and expectations around AI are all still moving, knowing where you actually stand is a far better place to lead from than false confidence or uncertainty.