Photo: Detroit Free Press ~ USA TODAY NETWORK
DETROIT, Jan. 31, 2024 ~ The Detroit Free Press announced Tuesday that it would remove comment sections from its website, effective Feb. 1.
The “View Comments” button will disappear from articles on the outlet’s website, according to the paper’s announcement written by Editor Nicole Avery Nichols. While she stated that the paper is an advocate for civil discussion and debate, the decision to remove comments was made to thwart misinformation and hate speech in the comments.
PODCAST:
Jan. 31, 2024 ~ Beginning Feb. 1, the Detroit Free Press will remove the comment section from their website “due to the time investment needed to produce a safe and constructive dialogue.” WJR Senior News Analyst Marie Osborne talks to Guy Gordon, Lloyd Jackson, and Jamie Edmonds about the interesting decision by the newspaper’s editor.
(CONTINUED) “For all their benefits, we must acknowledge that comment sections across the internet can quickly devolve when they’re left unmonitored,” Avery-Nichols said in the article. “We involved our journalists in the discussion; and moderating comments helped us provide a better experience on our website…
“While we believe in the importance of engagement, we are making the hard choice to move away from the space due to the time investment needed to produce a safe and constructive dialogue.“
The Free Press posted to Facebook encouraging readers to instead follow the paper on social media and contact their journalists through email.
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