Comments on: Comments add value to newspaper Web sites

By: ICD-10 Consultant

ICD-10 Consultant — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:54:00 +0000

I like it! I like it a lot. You know exactly what you’re talking about, exactly where other people are coming from on this issue. I’m glad that I had the fortune to stumble across your blog. Its definitely an important issue that not enough people are talking about and I’m glad that I got the chance to see all the angles ICD-10 Consultant

By: Nnnn

Nnnn — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 10:37:00 +0000

Comments add value to Web sites, they drive traffic and build communities. The problem with most newspaper Web sites is that they are comment ghettos — sections of Web sites that are left uncultivated and unloved by newspaper staffs.______________ cheap used carswayne

By: bench grinder

bench grinder — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:22:00 +0000

It’s a very good news that, now we will be able to add comment in Newspapers. It is very helpful to share public opinion.

By: A Hiker

A Hiker — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 05:09:00 +0000

Patrick,
I agree that news sites should allow commenting. But I could understand why more and more are shying away from it.

Firstly, there’s the cost of employing someone to moderate the comments. Secondly, in some countries, police are known to have raided bloggers house/news sites for inappropriate comments published in their sites.

By: Syedrana137

Syedrana137 — Thu, 12 May 2011 15:32:00 +0000

nice article. Bangla Newspapers

By: joseph

joseph — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:08:23 +0000

Cultivating the news conversation has to be a new mission for newspapers.

By: gus sentementes

gus sentementes — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 20:23:14 +0000

Patrick,

Could not agree more with your post. Could you or the bloggers you cover address what this type of community building and commenting means for a blog’s metrics. Specifically, what is the average time spent on these news blogs by users who are allowed and encouraged to comment? And why can’t the industry shift from a pageview-centric approach to one where the “stickiness” of the reader is a valuable commodity that ad sales teams can sell against?

I think if you look at most newspaper sites, you’ll find that people might click on news stories a ton but spend a lot less time with them than in areas of a website where they can leave comments, i.e. chat rooms, discussion forums.

To me, the future of newspaper websites and the industry as a whole is taking that conversation — where it’s now typically in a “ghetto” on most news websites — and bringing it front and center to the entire online news experience. Just my 2 cents.

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Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:03:19 +0000

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By: James Norton

James Norton — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:15:16 +0000

so we have a community newspaper – and after enjoying wild success as a result of our first five years with typepad and the ability to blog/anonymous comments, etc – we now have a “professional” newspaper geared website, but we miss the blogging/commenting part of the typepad utility. a lot of our readers do too. doesn anyone know of some kind of conduit which would allow me to somehow bridge this readership gap we have created by alienating our most avid typepad readers and be able to integrate it seamlessly into our current package? or am i doomed and should really look at other website hositing options?

James

By: Patrick Beeson

Patrick Beeson — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:19:04 +0000

The Gawker post was indeed link-bait, but it did have a valid intention: shining some light on the “ghetto” that are comments on newspaper stories.

But how did the ghetto form? I think it’s because they’ve been neglected in the manner you’re fighting against.

By hiring a community manager (or whatever you want to call it), and encouraging reporters to respond to user comments, newspapers can take back these ghettos and turn them into productive neighborhoods.

I see far too many newspapers leaning on technology for a solution to getting rid of errant comments when the solution is simply a real voice. If we reach out to users, and teach them how we expect them to interact with the site, we can improve the quality of content overall.