WashingtonPost.com’s decision to shut down comments on its blogs highlights the problems news outlets face as they embrace new methods of publishing. On the plus side, WashingtonPost.com had the thriving comment community a lot of other media executives wish they could replicate. But the minus side — a cascade of posts in direct conflict with stated and repeated civility requirements — was overwhelming.
In a sense, this is just a variation on a problem that dates back to message boards. It’s particularly problematic for traditional media organizations
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