Comments, schmoments

Now I know why newspapers don’t edit the comment sections of stories—they can get sued. Apparently, they’ve only get three options, each have all or nothing consequences:

1. Screen and edit all content in the comments
2. Edit nothing
3. No discussion boards at all.

If you’ve read to the bottom of a SunSentinel story, you know it opts for No. two. The discussion boards are a free-for-all. Take the story about a baby killed in a house fire that her mother and older brother survived. Apparently, the family’s power was turned off and mom was using candles for light when the fire started.

Firefighters say the woman ran for frantically for help. The mother was called a negligent, irresponsible woman who didn’t care about her kids by commenters who wondered incredulously “if she was such an active ‘church member’ how come the church is not providing the funds?”

I can’t help but ask how does this help the public discourse?