Why you need to take responsibility for the comments
Why and how to take control of the discourse in your communities.
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Comments
Subscribe to Updates Onsite comments don’t have to be terrible; in fact, they could be the keystone of your engagement strategy. They can help improve your journalism, generate new sources, diversify the voices in your reporting and newsroom, grow a loyal audience, bring in more advertising, and increase your number of paid subscribers or donors. But only if you have the right strategy. The reason that comments sections go bad isn’t the trolls — it’s you.Big Picture A primer on comments
Maintaining compelling and engaging comments on your site can deepen relationships with your most loyal and valuable readers — but the approach you take can’t exist in isolation from the rest of your mission and strategy.
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Plan Strategic considerations around comments
Define a strategy for your online community
Your community strategy needs to start with your newsroom strategy. This article helps you refine and focus your newsroom’s work and the role of your communities in helping you succeed.
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Why you should create a community mission statement
Why it’s important to have a clear definition of your community and its purpose.
5
min
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Do Tactics to improve your on-site comments
Protect your staff from online abuse with a formal policy and a response plan
Here’s an idea to steal and adapt: Online abuse is one of the largest threats journalists face. For the safety and wellness of our staff at The Seattle Times, it was important to create a clear online abuse policy to report incidents and a plan to respond. We think it could help you, too.
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How KXLY-TV reaches a busy audience with a handcrafted newsletter
Move beyond automated newsletters by writing a newsletter for a targeted audience that actually fits their needs.
17
min
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Designing membership for a virtuous engagement-revenue cycle
This example shows how membership perks can make engagement an opportunity for community and conversion.
10
min
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How to handle aggressive commenters
How to manage a user who crosses the line and starts to become abusive in your community.
5
min
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How to measure the success of your comments
Basic guidelines for how to measure your comment activity.
6
min
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How to invite meaningful comments that help your journalism
A series of tactics and ideas to invite valuable contributions.
60
min
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How to create successful conversations with your audience
A collection of advice and links showcasing different ways newsrooms have successfully engaged their communities in conversation.
15
min
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How to set expectations for moderators and community members
Learn about the types of comment behavior — and how to create and enforce rules to address them.
5
min
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How to persuade your newsroom to invest in comments
A framework to generate internal excitement around comments and community.
4
min
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How to create clear rules for your community
How to create a code of conduct and clear enforcement mechanisms in order to improve the behavior of your community.
8
min
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Are you liable for the content of your comments?
A summary of the Communications Decency Act, Section 230, and how it pertains to comment sections.
15
min
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