Journalism and the truth about comments
If you looked at the comments on a newspaper article posted on a social media platform like Facebook, you know how discouraging it is. The shallow negativity does not reflect well on our democratic society. For those newspapers that still enable comments on articles, it is equally depressing. The attack mentality of comments may be why many newspapers no longer allow comments on their sites.
Commenting Gone Awry
Before online commenting, an individual would have to submit a letter to the editor and receive approval before publication. My experience is that letters to the editor are usually respectful and offer alternate views to consider. Social media platforms seem to bring out the worst in those who comment. Individuals hijack posts to make damaging remarks on other issues. Worse, they express disrespect and unconstructive pessimism.
Why can't we have comments centered on the standards of integrity and thoughtfulness? How can we tap into the spirit and action of treating others the way we would want to be treated?
Journalism and Democracy: A Necessity of Both
Journalism is necessary for democracy, and democracy needs investigative journalism. Democracy enables a free press to pursue the truth in stories. Likewise, journalism holds businesses, government, and others accountable for their actions or inactions. Together, a robust society comes to life, but only if done with character and integrity.
Some studies have shown how negative comments generate a harmful perception of journalistic quality. However, positive comments can reduce prejudice within our society. A balance needs to be struck. Critical thinking can empower the balance, allowing us to move beyond our initial reactions or bias.
Rising to Be Better Citizens
Comments should focus on the issue, offering productive dissent and suggestions for another direction. Unfortunately, today, it has become personal and spiteful. For example, rather than attack the former president personally, it's best to focus on the untruths, disrespect for institutions (e.g., journalism, courts), and the impacts of prolonged threats of these words and actions. Productive dialogues are required to explore the underlying causes and current and future effects of issues and policies highlighted or missed by journalists. A measure of commenting on articles and posts should be – do they add to the greater good?
I recently came across this quote from Henry Ward Beecher, a minister, abolitionist, and social reformer:
"Man is at the bottom an animal, midway, a citizen, and at the top, divine. But the climate of this world is such that few ripen at the top."
The thought seems fitting. Today, we need to move towards the middle of being a citizen with a goal to act with positive virtues and civil discourse. Being a citizen embraces the requirement to resist cynicism and concentrate on betterment. Robert D. Putnam, author of The Upswing and Bowling Alone, has studied social capital and outlines how we can return to healthier social cohesion by focusing on "we" rather than just "I." A small step toward achieving a society of mutuality is embracing the virtue of respectful, thoughtful, challenging, and collaborative commenting on newspaper articles that appear on social media channels.
Comments reflect on us as citizens. Right now, it is not a respectable reflection. It is time to focus on betterment rather than selfishness and narrow attitudes.
Here are two actions:
Make positive comments on articles – the positive reflection may change a person's mind for the better.
When commenting, focus on the crux of the specific issue and offer constructive suggestions.
References
Arafat, R. K. (2018, May 3). Do online comments affect the credibility of news? European Journalism Observatory - EJO. https://en.ejo.ch/research/do-online-comments-influence-the-credibility-of-news
Smitherman, E. (2020, August 11). Why local papers still keep the comment section open. www.journalism.co.uk. https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/why-local-papers-still-keep-the-comment-section-open/s2/a759569/
Stylianou, S., & Sofokleous, R. (2019). An online experiment on the influence of online user comments on attitudes toward a minority group. Communication & Society, 32(4), 125–142. https://doi.org/10.15581/003.32.4.125-142
Waddell, T. F. (2017). What does the crowd think? How online comments and popularity metrics affect news credibility and issue importance. New Media & Society, 20(8), 3068–3083. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444817742905