INSIDE CBC NEWS
Esther Enkin
Dealing with your desire to talk politics
How we're providing a space for Canada to comment
Last Updated: Wednesday, December 3, 2008 | 1:12 PM ET
By Esther Enkin, CBC News
When we launched our comments section in March 2008, we hoped you would accept the invitation to make this your space. We hoped it would provide a place where Canadians could express their opinions on the events of the day, and to meet and share their views on issues of national importance.
We are almost literally overwhelmed by your response. The drama now unfolding in our nation's capital has clearly captured Canadians' attention. The use of our website to find out the latest developments and get background on this story is exceeding usage during the election and the Olympics! We believe this is a unique opportunity to reflect the pulse and mood of the country. Thank you for turning to us for trusted information. And there is clearly a real hunger to know what your fellow citizens are thinking, and to let them know how you feel.
We have had well over 20,000 comments so far — and counting. A random sampling of the comments signals strongly that the majority of Canadians feels frustrated and upset. They don't feel any of the politicians in Ottawa are addressing the real issues, and even commenters in favour of a coalition are grudgingly so. There is also a growing interest among our audience in having another federal election. They want their voices heard and they tell us they think the best way to do this is through their votes. By far the most commented story was about the signing of the coalition agreement. We think this is a unique opportunity to reflect the mood of the country.
Managing challenges
The number of responses has also created some challenges for us. This is a space that belongs to you, but we manage it. Some CBC users believe we shouldn't provide it at all. And if we do, then we should regulate much more carefully what is published. Frankly, some comments border on the rude, and people seem to like to take each other on. That upsets others. And we are sorry if you feel that way. But overall, we believe the value of a space where Canadians can express themselves and engage each other outweighs the sometimes inelegant way they express it. And I can assure you that we are constantly reviewing the comments and any other reader submissions, and testing them against our guidelines. Of course I believe that comments have their greatest value when they are thoughtful and contribute to vigorous, but civil discourse.
Another challenge has emerged over the last couple of days as well: the sheer volume of your response. Those of you who do participate are aware that we "pre-moderate" your contributions. That means the comments are reviewed before being posted. Well, Monday night we had to call for reinforcements because at one point, there were 2,500 responses waiting for review. If it is taking a little longer than usual, please be patient. We are working as fast as we can.
And even though we do moderate these comments, we know that not everyone is acting alone. We reckon that about 20 per cent of the comments on these stories are coming from spammers, or some kind of organized campaign for a particular point of view. But one of the wonders of this process is that at the end of the day, it is self-regulating. And that old adage certainly applies — "buyer beware!"
The story is changing minute by minute. We will keep you up to date, and do our best to give you the information and background you need to make sense of it all. So let us know what you think. And let us know what you need from us to make sense of the high drama on the Rideau.
Esther Enkin is the CBC's executive editor of news operations.
