Comments on: Staff responses belong in comment threads http://steveouting.com/2008/11/06/staff-responses-belong-in-comment-threads/ Journalist, consultant, entrepreneur ... Musings on digital media, Web 2.0/3.0, & news in the Internet era Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:43:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Steve Outing http://steveouting.com/2008/11/06/staff-responses-belong-in-comment-threads/comment-page-1/#comment-12083 Steve Outing Sun, 09 Nov 2008 22:22:09 +0000 http://steveouting.com/?p=591#comment-12083 Bravo, Angela! Bravo, Angela!

]]> By: Angela Connor http://steveouting.com/2008/11/06/staff-responses-belong-in-comment-threads/comment-page-1/#comment-12080 Angela Connor Sun, 09 Nov 2008 20:23:50 +0000 http://steveouting.com/?p=591#comment-12080 This is common practice for us at WRAL.com, Steve. I am the Managing Editor of User-generated content and we make a point to respond to user inquiries. My team of moderators flag comments that ask questions, demand answers or otherwise need our attention and we respond accordingly. This is common practice for us at WRAL.com, Steve. I am the Managing Editor of User-generated content and we make a point to respond to user inquiries. My team of moderators flag comments that ask questions, demand answers or otherwise need our attention and we respond accordingly.

]]> By: Participate, please — Vad NU! http://steveouting.com/2008/11/06/staff-responses-belong-in-comment-threads/comment-page-1/#comment-11982 Participate, please — Vad NU! Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:10:28 +0000 http://steveouting.com/?p=591#comment-11982 [...] saying this because Steve Outing has a point, when he mentions that staff at news media belong in comment threads. If a user has a problem with something, the journalist has written, that user can bring the matter [...] [...] saying this because Steve Outing has a point, when he mentions that staff at news media belong in comment threads. If a user has a problem with something, the journalist has written, that user can bring the matter [...]

]]> By: Steve Outing http://steveouting.com/2008/11/06/staff-responses-belong-in-comment-threads/comment-page-1/#comment-11951 Steve Outing Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:28:09 +0000 http://steveouting.com/?p=591#comment-11951 Tim: Yeah, it's an art to do this right. But I applaud editors and reporters getting in there and countering bad comment info and dumb statements. I think when the staff journalists "fight back" it can go a long way to making the crazies back off and the overall tone become more civil. But to your point, the staff can't become crazies themselves. Tim: Yeah, it’s an art to do this right. But I applaud editors and reporters getting in there and countering bad comment info and dumb statements. I think when the staff journalists “fight back” it can go a long way to making the crazies back off and the overall tone become more civil. But to your point, the staff can’t become crazies themselves.

]]> By: Tim Windsor http://steveouting.com/2008/11/06/staff-responses-belong-in-comment-threads/comment-page-1/#comment-11949 Tim Windsor Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:14:56 +0000 http://steveouting.com/?p=591#comment-11949 It was good (and, to the point of your post, rare) to a point, but then Erika the Editor couldn't resist getting in a jab at the end. Though I will give her points for transparency. That's the kind of jape that usually gets said after the phone is cradled or the email sent. Jumping to the bait is never a good idea, even if the original poster was a jerk himself. Answer the question, then move on. Raising the temperature - becoming a sarcastic scold, as one later poster on that story notes - does little to add clarity to the story, which the first half of Editor Erika's comment does. It was good (and, to the point of your post, rare) to a point, but then Erika the Editor couldn’t resist getting in a jab at the end.

Though I will give her points for transparency. That’s the kind of jape that usually gets said after the phone is cradled or the email sent.

Jumping to the bait is never a good idea, even if the original poster was a jerk himself. Answer the question, then move on. Raising the temperature – becoming a sarcastic scold, as one later poster on that story notes – does little to add clarity to the story, which the first half of Editor Erika’s comment does.

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