StateImpact Pennsylvania eliminates comments section

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StateImpact Pennsylvania is announcing today we are eliminating the comments section of our website. The decision follows similar moves by other news organizations, including NPR, which got rid of its comments last summer.

Over the years, journalists have debated the value of online comments. In particular, problems have arisen around civility and anonymity. Additionally, the tool we use to accept comments, Disqus, recently announced it will charge a fee to keep the service free of advertisements. We’re a small team of reporters and editors. We don’t think it’s a great use of our limited time to moderate comments, nor is it the best use our financial resources to pay for ad-free space.

It’s no secret we cover controversial topics that give rise to strong opinions. Although we’re no longer accepting online comments, we certainly still want to hear your news tips, suggestions, and feedback. And sometimes we make mistakes that need to be corrected, so let us know.

Here’s how to stay in touch:

Click on the photos at the bottom of the website, and you can find our bios and email addresses: marie_cusick@witf.org, sphillips@whyy.org and jonhurdle@gmail.com. You can also send a message to our Facebook and Twitter accounts. Or try the old-fashioned way, and pick up the phone. WITF’s number is (717) 704-3000. WHYY’s is 215-351-1200.

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