I am done debating the importance of user comments on news stories. I am an advocate of comments and I do feel that news organizations should provide resources to moderate those comments to keep out the pure trash but with the goal of promoting civil discourse and debate.
And, I think it should be done it real-time.
I’ve written about this quite a bit on my blog and as the Managing Editor of User-Generated Content for one of the top news organizations in North Carolina which receives monster traffic and visitors, I have a bit of experience in this arena.
During a focus group today, one of the participants made a comment that sealed the deal for me. I tweeted it and I will probably say it to everyone I meet for the rest of the year. Especially as I head to the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism at the end of the month to discuss community building with foreign correspondents.
Here is what she said: "News comments are just as much part of the story, as the story itself."
Did you hear that comment haters? This came from a user. This user also went on to say: "Sometimes I don’t know what to think about a story until I read the opinions of others. "
So there you have it. Those opinions in the comments section do matter.
Told you!
In the same vein:
About Angela Connor
After three years as Managing Editor of User-Generated Content at WRAL.com where Angela aunched the first online community, and grew it to more than 15,000 members, she moved on to a bigger, more challenging opportunity.
Today, she is the Vice President, Director of Social Media at Capstrat, identifying opportunities and developing strategies for top-notch clients.
Angela is also author of the book “18 Rules of Community Engagement: A Guide for Building Relationships and Connecting with Customers Online.”
ResearchANGLE
Attention News Sites: Comments are Relevant, Regardless of Whether You Read Them
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And, I think it should be done it real-time.
I’ve written about this quite a bit on my blog and as the Managing Editor of User-Generated Content for one of the top news organizations in North Carolina which receives monster traffic and visitors, I have a bit of experience in this arena.
During a focus group today, one of the participants made a comment that sealed the deal for me. I tweeted it and I will probably say it to everyone I meet for the rest of the year. Especially as I head to the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism at the end of the month to discuss community building with foreign correspondents.
Here is what she said: "News comments are just as much part of the story, as the story itself."
Did you hear that comment haters? This came from a user. This user also went on to say: "Sometimes I don’t know what to think about a story until I read the opinions of others. "
So there you have it. Those opinions in the comments section do matter.
Told you!
In the same vein:
About Angela Connor
After three years as Managing Editor of User-Generated Content at WRAL.com where Angela aunched the first online community, and grew it to more than 15,000 members, she moved on to a bigger, more challenging opportunity. Today, she is the Vice President, Director of Social Media at Capstrat, identifying opportunities and developing strategies for top-notch clients. Angela is also author of the book “18 Rules of Community Engagement: A Guide for Building Relationships and Connecting with Customers Online.”