Say what?

Abstract

: Since first having an online presence, American newspapers have tried their best to make readers more involved with their stories. Since the first newspapers started appearing on the world wide web circa 1995, these publications have been working on integrating a range of tools to both enhance the reader's experience and to encourage reader participation and involvement – emails to contact staff, for example, or online polls where the public can easily express their opinion. Among the many tools used, newspapers have started allowing readers to post comments on stories online, not only to be more inclusive but to revitalise the concept of ‘citizen journalism’, where readers can actively contribute and help the news coverage. While the concept of interactivity between readers and publications has been extensively analysed in several studies in past decades, this new venue remains virtually untouched, despite its clear importance. To achieve this goal, this study – the first of its kind – conducted a content analysis of a random sample of reader comments posted on the websites of 10 major US newspapers. Results showed that readers have misused these comment boards, turning them into forums for opinions and personal attacks. Yet, while most comments did not contribute to the news coverage, they were still important tools for promoting the newspaper, for encouraging interaction between publication and reader, and for promoting democracy and freedom of speech. The study concludes with suggestions on how to improve comment boards and suggestions for follow-up studies with other publications with an online presence.