Jimmy at Sticky Doorknobs offers this must-read post about the response to last night's "Blog the Vote" project at his website ..... a response that is all-too-familiar to those of us who have worked the online component of mainstream media.
I commented to his post .....
"Jimmy, kudos to you-and-yours for the effort ..... I regret that some would choose to abuse the virtual platform you provided.
"This raises what has been a difficult point for me when it comes to online journalism and public affairs ..... balancing the positive of a truly-open forum with the negative of having that forum turned by those who disdain civility, responsibility and - all too often - truth.
"The solution? The proper balance? I don't have one to offer ..... at least not one that is a one-size-fits-all solution for everybody. In the past, at mywesttexas.com and, later, at newswest9.com, I took to manually reviewing, approving and/or rejecting each comment submitted to our stories ..... if I believed that statements made constituted libel (or slander, depending upon your medium), they were rejected.
"Of course, that may not be practical for your forum if you are in the midst of a live, ongoing e-discussion.
"I don't see any solution to the problem of people spewing online ..... it's not only a virtual right - it's an actual right. I think, though, that is encouraged by the ability of online pundits and commenters to hide their identity ..... there is a certain level of courage that some reach from the safety of their anonymity, that they would never reach - or even attempt to reach - in the real world. It's so much safer, really, to be unaccountable, to throw our virtual stones when we know we can't be caught.
"Re: 'Trust me ... you would not believe the level of bigotry and outright racism that exists here.' ..... Oh, yes I would. And I would see it expressed so often, in the comments that greeted so many stories - from immigration reform to police-involved shootings, from political races to Cinco de Mayo - AND I've seen it run in both directions.
"Finally, re: 'a medium that, despite its many flaws, has the ability to be a great educational and informational tool' ..... I agree with you 100%, and I hope that you won't let the rants of a few virtual mooks stop you from offering this platform again."
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