Journalism, Online Comments, and the Future of Public Discourse

“By abandoning comments, news organizations are not only giving up an important role in shaping public discourse—they’re giving up a key avenue toward having direct, sustainable relationships with their audiences.

“They don’t know who is speaking so they can’t trust it; they can’t tell if it is real or made up; they can’t tell if the source has an agenda or is even knowledgeable.”

“questions as the new comments” by tapping into the crowd at the start of a newsgathering initiative instead of culling audience reactions at the end.

“plaza” architectures are large online environments centrally designed for general audiences, where participants get the biggest-picture view. But the openness and legibility of a plaza makes it brittle and difficult to maintain order, leading to eventual atrophy and decline.

The problem is the First Amendment protects their free speech, but it doesn’t offer them any blanket protection from retribution.”

how to facilitate constructive discussions among people who disagree.

stark division of digital discourse into algorithm-patrolled, regulated “safe spaces” and chaotic, free-for-all zones.

The role of discussion host/moderator is poorly supported by current tech—

It means organizing information for maximum understanding, keeping conversations on point, correcting errors, debunking misinformation, seeking out diverse participants, including varied perspectives, and adding value to citizens’ comments above the reactive social media layer.