CBC News Editors' Blog

CNN has a feature on it's webpage that allows a reader to e-mail a story to a friend etc. CBC should consider adopting something similar.

Thanks for your comment! We do have the E-mail a story feature, which you'll find at the top left and bottom of every news story.
- Jonathan Dube

I like the immediacy of your response to this week's reader survey - not often that happens nowadays, anywhere. Your site has been my "home page" for a couple of years, even though not all of it suited me. It does now, more than before, so thanks very much.

I think it will be great to be able to comment and recommend news stories to others that you feel may be of interest to them. Maybe a an email link to send the article to a friend would be good as well. I visit your web site often. This feature will be of interest to your visitors I am sure.

Thanks for your comment! We do have the E-mail a story feature, which you'll find at the top left and bottom of every news story.
- Jonathan Dube

cbcnews.ca has been my home page for a number of years, and it just keeps getting better. Thank you.

I like the revised story format.

I also like the ability to comment on each report.

I am, however, concerned about the "Recommended" feature. I will not be using it to log my recommendation or decide what I will read.

My concern is that the "Recommended" feature could lead the CBC to become just another populist media in pursuit of higher "Recommended" numbers.

The “Recommended” number is not necessarily an indication of the quality of the reporting.

Clearly and completely reporting information to increase people’s awareness and understanding of matters that can affect their lives should be the objective, whether or not the people like what is being reported.

Attracting a large audience of a specific mind-set for advertisers is a job that is already being adequately done by private media.

Hopefully the CBC will be able to ignore the “Recommended” numbers when evaluating the quality of its reporting.

Really glad you added a comments feature. E-mail this article feature would be good, so would digg/reddit features.

Thanks for your comment! We do have the E-mail a story feature, which you'll find at the top left and bottom of every news story. We're also planning on adding "Digg This" buttons soon.

- Jonathan Dube

Allowing more feedback from readers is a great idea. I frequently write in and it's hit or miss if I get published. I often wonder if I said something too outrageous. As a reader reported below CNN as well as BBC ask for comments on issues. The volume of the responses on the BBC site runs into the thousands for some topics. That is probably too much participation. I think your option will be more like the Huffingtonpost method, which is to have bloggers register, with a profile if they wish, and respond in a moderated forum. The site also controls the more scatological comments and ad homien attacks

Finally! Thank you!

I dislike those "e-mail to a friend" links. Call me paranoid, but I always assume they are a way to collect e-mail addresses for spam.

I don't think I'm alone when I say that I think that allowing users to post comments cheapens the quality of a media source. I realize it is ironic for me to express this in "comment" form, but allow me this one exception. The majority of people, in Canada, who use comment features on websites do no use them to discuss substantive issues relating to the article in question but rather to rant and rave about whatever may be on their mind, which could be admonishing their least favourite politician, condemning certain racial or ethnic groups, or making grand generalizations about things they actually don't know anything about. They are a poor indication of how the majority of people feel about a particular issue and therefore they do not "democratize" the media. Allowing comments on certain articles, as the BBC does, may be appropriate sometimes (with due moderation) but please don't allow just any xenephobic racist person to post offensive off-topic posts on your otherwise very high-quality website.

I don't like the reader comments that you have added to your online comment. It brings CBC down to the level of Fox News.

Unfortunately it also destroys any illusion about the level of education and thought in the Canadian public. There is a reason why I base my opinions on reporting from the CBC, rather than the rumors and uninformed opinions I overhear on the street.

I read the CBC news every morning and I don't like having to scroll down through your readers' comments to get to the "top stories" area. I don't care about, or have time to read their comments. I just want the news. I'm definitely not in favour of the new format!

Welcome to Web 2.0!

Thank you for pulling the advertising out of the middle of your articles. Although I can appreciate the need for advertising, I really did not like the way it interrupted the story.

Comments and recommendations are just a post-modern approach to truth; that truth is nothing more than a construct, and when it comes to media, truth is determined by popularity.

It might be good for eyeballs-on-advertisements, but it's not journalistic good practice.

I wish the CBC would try harder to be an alternative to mainstream media, rather than try to ape it so often.

I have tried to join the comments in the new format and each time when I post my email address it is rejected. Can you clear this up for me? Thank you.

I had the same problem as Dona.

It said they would send confirmation and it could take up to half hour.

I received nothing from CBC.

Here's a rather good idea, and it's concerning the blogs. I think CBC should be updating them on a more frequent basis during regular buisness hours. I know me and some other people have to wait a good solid 3and + days before we see it posted. I understand they have to be reviewed, but at the same time I know p[art of the reason why I don't see them is because of simple laziness or lack of people to append messages/posts. I remember one time I had to wait 9 days before I saw my post. I think and feel, as many others, that this does need to be addressed.

kg; Don't read the blogs, read the news stories. People like you need to comprehend certain things before deciding to read article.

Am I the only one having trouble with the new comment thing? Half of the stories are still in the old format without the ability to comment, and the comment section itself doesn't always load at the bottom of stories that are in the new format! Plus, it would be nice if you could switch the old style blogs over to the new comment feature.

I love the idea of being able to comment, but it needs to work.

I have a IMac and your system does not work with it. I have no trouble going into any other site but CBC. I wonder why you are not compatible with IMacs but to download PodCasts you must have an expensive IPod which is an IMac product. I cannot download the survey I received this morning.

Astrid Davidson;
'IPod which is an IMac product. I cannot download the survey I received this morning.'

the iPod isn't an iMac product, rather an Apple product (The same company who produces iMacs, iTunes, Airbook, G4 and G5, etc)

Les Hamilton

Toronto

Allowing more feedback from readers is a great idea. I frequently write in and it's hit or miss if I get published. I often wonder if I said something too outrageous. As a reader reported below CNN as well as BBC ask for comments on issues. The volume of the responses on the BBC site runs into the thousands for some topics. That is probably too much participation. I think your option will be more like the Huffingtonpost method, which is to have bloggers register, with a profile if they wish, and respond in a moderated forum. The site also controls the more scatological comments and ad homien attacks

I honestly think that this would be more suitable then the current blogging system. I also wonder why CBC requires an email address? I know that a lot of 'spam bots' could easily enter in a false email addy. I really think also that we should receive some type of feedback from the editor, stating what was wrong with it.

I would agree with Ian. Moderate the posts, so that they are not racists comments. I would not want to see this on any comment post on any news or web site that you can post a comment on. I would imagine CBC is doing this now. People submitting a post should stay on topic.

Sure would be nice if we could enjoy too these citizen media features on the French side...

A good idea as long as you are not afraid of the truth.

I enjoy the accessibility you have offered the people to the news. I am and avid CBC watcher and trust this news source to always be accurate. I am however not to pleased with the new option to have just any one be able to put in their two cents and so freely give their opinion especially on such tragic accidents. I have found some of these comments to be hurtful and unnecessarily judgmental in regards to the loss of two of my family members. I am referring to some of the comments posted in regards to the horrific loss of two very admirable men Allen and Reagan Williams. Some of these comments are hurtful to a great number of people both family and friends. These men do not deserve this treatment and neither do their families and I am disgusted that CBC would stoop to stick their name to these comments. Shame on you!

Appears you pick and choose which stories will allow comments. Your story on the health problems at Sarnia does not provide comments or recommendations. Why not?

I've just lately discovered the CBC blogs, and am enjoying the exchange. They way they come into existence, then disappear, after a day or so, has made me contemplate the ephemeral nature of "news". I have been surprised and pleased to discover that my fellow canadians care about the things I care about. As for the haters and bigots - they are the cost of free speech, and I can see that the moderater blocks the worst of their excesses. Although I do think the moderator goes a bit far, when a widely used latin expression classifying the human race as sapient, is construed as being rude to gay men. An insult I would never be guilty of.

While I enjoy the new "comment" section, would it be possible to have a forum-like comments? That way, if my comment was not to comment directly on the story but to comment on a comment, it would be easier to follow the thread.