Non-censorship shocker – The Punch allows anti-Murdoch comments
I think I’ve spotted a healthy sign that The Punch is starting to find its way.
Earlier this week, editor David Penberthy posted a piece on the potential for charging readers for online content. He set out his ideal online paper, and asked readers whether they’d be willing to pay.
But the impressive thing is that, despite the comment thread turning into something of a cavalcade of hate against News Ltd, the comments have been left up there.
And they are pretty harsh:
Sure its great, but the problem of internet comments remains. People aren’t really discussing, they are ranting, never to return to the page.
Just like I’m leaving this comment never to see the “discussion” I’ve started…
I’ll see you tomorrow, not here though, on the next post.
Tim, you haven’t been reading the responses I’ve been getting to my column in The Australian’s Media section. I am regularly confronted by the strength of anti-Murdoch feeling expressed by my bloggers. I don’t edit out people’s opinions, so it all gets a run on Murdoch’s own site. It’s not only the number of people willing to condemn; it’s the torrid, vicious nature of the condemnation, coupled with a dancing-on-the-grave delight at the perceived impending demise of a global mogul that I find both puzzling and regrettably uncivil. As Murdoch once said of himself – you’d think he was a genocidal tyrant.
I agree and have noted that Mark Day’s blog indeed does publish a good deal of User generated anti Murdoch sentiment. The Australian have been particularly transparent about the response to a User pays approach to News Limited content.
Wouldn’t let me keep a gag about John Hartigan in one of my articles though. Hehe.
Thanks for flagging that up, Mark.
Because I usually see your column in print, I’ve been failing to check out your comment stream online, and I’ll make more effort to do so.
Maybe I’m being naive, but my feeling is that having given vent to some of these issues, people will move on, and the conversation will become more constructive. Here’s hoping, anyway…
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
Tim – I dearly hope people CAN move on past the ranting that’s being passed off as intelligent comment. I’ve seen vast streams of bile poured out without a real point or argument to be found… it has been going on a long time though, I hope your optimism proves to be well placed.
Oh, thank you Mr Day. Thank you so much!