For decades, newspapers have published letters to the editor, a tradition that is steeped in time-honored practices. The laws of libel, of course, apply. But so do certain sensibilities about the meaning and feel of civic discourse.
At The Beachcomber, as at many papers, the bar is set high: We only print signed letters; we sometimes spike letters that cross a line into mean-spiritedness; we even edit them for grammar, spelling and sometimes clarity.
Now, however, newspapers have entered a new realm: They’re acting as hosts to online comments, a kind of “social media” where the rules are far different.
At best, this new forum allows for a lively give and take, a conversation that is profoundly egalitarian. No editor acts as the gatekeeper; readers of any political stripe can say their piece. At worst, these free-wheeling sites can become pretty ugly places dominated by so-called trolls who spend hours surfing the ’net and throwing out verbal hand grenades.
These new sites also raise tough issues for newspaper editors, especially those who have been in the business awhile. We’re advised that if we play too heavy of a hand, we’ll stifle discussion and visitors won’t return to our site. At the same time, if we don’t “moderate” the discussion and occasionally spike a comment, our site can spiral pretty quickly into a “Lord of the Flies” devolution of the human character.
Last week was a case in point, where a handful of people — some from other parts of the country — weighed in on our story about the horrific helicopter accident that claimed Tom Stewart’s life.
Several comments took aim at The Beachcomber, criticizing us for noting in the story that Stewart was a controversial man whose practices ran him afoul of both state and federal campaign finance laws. Even though the comments were at times vitriolic — the phrase “scumbag profiteer” stands out — as long as they were aimed at us, we let them go. One anonymous poster, however, made a heartless comment about Stewart. We spiked it instantly.
It’s a brave new world — this world of social media — and we at The Beachcomber are finding our way through it, trying to set standards while still allowing a lively debate to unfold. But social media, by its very nature, goes beyond us at The Beachcomber. It involves everyone who visits our site. All of us, in these spirited exchanges, can have a voice, flag comments that seem inappropriate and call for a higher level of civic discourse.
We hope readers will take some ownership, even as we at The Beachcomber navigate this sometimes tricky terrain. We ask you to post comments that are thoughtful, call on others to refrain from mean-spiritedness, and claim this site as part of the Island’s ongoing conversation.
It can be a powerful and provocative tool, but only if we choose to use it well.
