Do not feed trolls

A warning to all reporters and online users: Do Not Feed Trolls

I remember when I was younger, my father used to get so upset with some reporters from the Hutchinson News about stories on farming that he really didn't think the reporters knew what they were talking about. He would just gripe for a few minutes and then finally put the paper down. My father would always say he wished there were an easy way to tell reporters true facts that their reporting seemed to miss.

Today, the Internet has delivered that opportunity. Readers now have the opportunity to interact and be a part of the news that is reported; however, there is also the ugly that comes with the good.

Internet forums and comment sections give readers a voice and the opportunity to become a part of a news story. This opportunity has changed news. Reporters now have to deal with the fact that anyone could post a comment on their story, and anyone can read the comment. Sometimes, this voice is not always pleasant. In fact, some comments can get down right offensive and hurtful.

Newsrooms have to be careful with trolls and comments posted. Web producers should constantly check the website for posts that could be considered offensive. Reporters should not become part of the comments section because this would only create more of a problem. Commenting back to troll would only be fueling the fire and open doors for other offensive comments.

Steps can be taken to help soften the language used. For example, topix.net has started posting the location of the person that posted the comment. This humanized the comments more and helped tame some of the comments.

Internet forums and comment sections have created an opportunity for communities to interact with newspapers and TV stations; however, newsrooms beware. Do not feed the trolls!