Mail Online Moderators

Malcolm Armsteen · **Posted:** Thu May 03, 2012 4:02 pm

I can't really see where this fits, so I've given it its own thread. And apologies to Andrew Pugh for lifiting such a big chunk, but I think he'll understand if he frequents our place:

From the Press Gazette: http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp ... =49253&c=1

Quote:

A Mail Online comment moderator was removed from his post for amending a reader's comment.

The issue was highlighted when reader Ray Pooley complained to the Press Complaints Commission that one of his comments had been altered by the moderator.

As part of a discussion among readers about the newspaper’s moderation of the comment thread, Pooley originally wrote: “And on an allegedly unmoderated thread. Par for the course on this forum unfortunately.”

But his comment was amended by the moderator following submission and was published as follows: “And on an allegedly unmoderated thread. Par for the course on this forum unfortunately. OF COURSE it’s moderated – you people are not responsible for any legal actions, the paper is… think before you ink”.

The complaint was resolved when the newspaper “explained that unfortunately the incident was the work of a new moderator who broke several rules by adding his own words to the end of the complainant’s comments”.

The website accepted this was “completely unacceptable” and said the moderator had been “removed from their post”.

“It had never happened before and the newspaper was confident it would not happen again,” said the PCC. “The newspaper apologised for the unfortunate sequence of events.”

I must admit I'd never thought of going to the PCC over amended comments, but this raises some interesting points about the degree to which the comments section is seen as part of the editorial content of the website, and to what extent the moderators are responsible.

Messianic Trees · **Joined:** Fri Mar 18, 2011 10:50 pm **Posts:** 2843

Interesting. I wonder if the complaint was upheld because the moderator added something to the original comment, rather than simply removing things from it?

Malcolm Armsteen · **Posted:** Thu May 03, 2012 4:14 pm

That quote is pretty much the whole PCC entry for the incident.

Patrick100 · **Joined:** Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:38 pm **Posts:** 600

Well the terms of the DM comments section do say I think that they may be edited as do letter sections to printed newspapers but adding comments in the way that one did pushed the definition to breaking point.

Paul · **Posted:** Thu May 03, 2012 9:35 pm

I have had a few of mine chopped about on Littlejohn over the years that changed the meaning.
At the time I was rather pissed off. So not an isolated rogue moderator then. Sounds a familar defence.

Giant f*cking Sudoku · **Posted:** Fri May 04, 2012 12:09 am

Amazing they admitted culpability. Now let's see an investigation into all the tracking bugs and ad spyware the site is infested with. Would be good to see the former mod sign up here and truly spill the beans. They definitely yank whole comment sections if they don't like the tone or direction they go in, i.e. unswerving, on message IDS/Davis/Redwood style Toryism.

Big Rob · **Posted:** Fri May 04, 2012 12:40 am

I had one of mine chopped for Hitchens rants. Changed to suit Hitchens' argument. So has a good friend of mine.

satnav · **Posted:** Fri May 04, 2012 12:42 am

Just wondering if this was comments under a story or the discussion thing they sometimes run.

I would have thought you can usually justify deleting anything in a comment that breaks the house rules but there can never be any justification for adding words to somebody's comments especially if the additional words severely distort the views of the person who posted the comments.

Timbo · **Posted:** Fri May 04, 2012 9:19 am

I'm pretty surprised that there actually are on-staff moderators. I expect they will be quietly replaced by Mechanical Turk in the next couple of years, like Facebook.

Fflaps · **Posted:** Fri May 04, 2012 9:34 am

Yes, it would be interesting to hear from a former moderator. We all know chopping of comments goes on but I never realised they add to them as well - wonder if this is common practice?

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