Where should comments be edited, removed, or prohibited?
I think profane, rude, or hateful comments should be prohibited or removed, as should personal attacks.
I do think we need to be careful, though, not to censor political views or views on social issues that run counter to our own. I consider myself a moderate as I agree with liberals on some issues and conservatives on others. But, I actually had journalists try to censor me on the National Association of Science Writers list-serve because I disagreed with the liberal orthodoxy on some issues. I found the thought of journalists trying to censor someone with opposing views absolutely frightening. In my mind journalists should be champions of free speech, even for those with opposing views.
Well said. Now, here's a question. Would you censor a quote by a source because foul language was used or would you honor the inclusion of all words spoken including the foul ones?
ReplyDeleteI haven't run into that situation yet. I wouldn't have any problem including foul language in a quote, but I guess it would ultimately be up to the editor.
ReplyDelete