Moderating the Uncontrollable
Abstract
Traditional forms of media have shifted online, transforming methods of engagement. Information sharing, which once required time and various means of communication, is now global and instant. Particularly, news organizations have integrated technology into their online platforms. The most dynamic technology of news organizations is comment threads, in which readers are free to publicly express their opinion. Comment threads increase reader engagement, but their lack of moderation blurs boundaries of free speech. Moderating comment threads in online news changed the relationship between readers and journalists, shaping how they view each other as contributors of public information.
By identifying readers and journalists as consumers and producers, respectively, of news as an information demand, this paper examines the successes and failures of existing moderation technologies of comment threads and proposes an alternative method of moderation. The proposed moderation technique leads to better discussions facilitated directly by journalists and ultimately fosters a sense of community that technology alone cannot provide.
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