Connie Schultz of the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote an interesting column on the issue of civility and anonymity of online commentors to newspapers. Sadly but predictably, the comment section contains uncivil, anonymous comments.
There seems to be a general belief among those in charge on newspaper web sites that comments are a key part of user generated content that will usher in a new era of news delivery. It's easy to see why most sites allow comments—for a web editor concerned about metrics such as time spent on a page, comments are surely an attractive way to boost output, even if it's only by a small amount.
Like celebrity gossip, comments are not the business of newspapers. Print newspapers do not publish anonymous, racist rants, so why should they be allowed online?
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