The whole ethos behind the birth of Rye News was, and very much still is, to share news and information with our local community by writing articles about local news, issues and events which often start debate with opinions and comments. Those comments stimulate other readers to counter comment and the resulting debate can at times get a little heated. Balanced reporting is what we strive to produce and comments received are not ignored.
Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter provide for those who want to make more personal or pointed verbal attacks, whilst Instagram is more geared to promoting images rather than opinion. Rye News is not a social media site.
Recently, the comments section at Rye News has been abused by a minority of contributors and as a result the directors have reviewed the original policy and guidelines. At last week’s quarterly board meeting the updated version, set out below, was agreed and has now been implemented.
We are publishing the new comments policy and guidelines for your information. It is not set in stone and will be revisited at some future date if it needs updating, but hopefully its content is clear and fair. Comments are an important part of Rye News and engage readers in debate, our readers opinions matter and are appreciated by other readers and the editorial team.
Rye News comments policy and guidelines 2023
Rye News welcomes comments and they are widely read. Once you submit a comment there may be a delay of up to 24 hours before they are published below the story. Comments will only be published if they meet the following guidelines:
1. If they are relevant to the story.
2. If they are polite, reasonable and constructive.
3. If any additional facts are presented, they are supported by stating the source of the information.
4. Only comments considered to be from a genuine source will be published.
5. Any submitted comments must be accompanied by the commenter’s name and email address for them to be considered for publication.
The comments are published by the moderator who is a volunteer member of the Rye News team appointed by the editor. The moderator will make best efforts to ensure that comments meet the five guidelines listed above. In case of any doubts or concerns the relevant comment will be forwarded to the editor for a decision. In the event of a disagreement over a comment the editor’s decision is final.
Comments that include personal remarks, or that we consider are intended to offend will not be published.
Rye News is not like other social media – it was set up to provide a reliable source of local news by encouraging participation and debate and to encourage everyone to engage positively and work together to make Rye and its surrounding villages a better place to live and visit. Comments, alongside letters to the editor, are an important part of the interactive process with our community that we wish to encourage. The moderator will publish comments that generally help achieve this. Rye News is a serious publication but is not averse to a little humour.
Image Credits: Rye News library .
Well said Nick!! As you say it is important for readers to be able to voice their opinions and to engage in debates BUT not at the detriment of others!