Bloomberg joins growing list of news outlets to ban comment sections

[ShootSpeeders]

CNN used to have a very active comments section but they killed it off a year ago. I used to comment there a lot and noticed most posters were conservative even though CNN is super-lib. That's the real reason for ending comments.

Bloomberg Latest To Kill Comments Because Really Who Gives A Damn About Localized User Communities Techdirt

feb 2 2015
We've been noting how the trend du jour among news outlets has been to not only kill off your community comments section, but to proudly proclaim you're doing so because you really value conversation.

The latest war on comments comes courtesy of the folks over at Bloomberg. You may have noticed that the Bloomberg media empire recently went through a bit of a consolidation and redesign under the leadership of former Verge editor-in-chief Josh Topolsky. Buried among the vertigo-inducing fonts and amusing new 404 warning, is, you'll note, a very obvious lack of user comments. This is, to hear Topolsky tell it, because comments don't actually reflect your community

:"I've looked at the analytics on the commenting community versus overall audience. You’re really talking about less than one percent of the overall audience that’s engaged in commenting, even if it looks like a very active community,” he says. “In the grand scheme of the audience, it doesn't represent the readership."

In other words, because most users can't be bothered to comment, we're going to eliminate a major artery for input for those users who do choose to closely participate with the authors and website. :

 

[Shrimpbox]

It's really no different than determining election results. The people that didn't vote are all on my side.

 

[Moonglow]

Comment sections have come and gone with many media outlets,,so?

 

[bucs90]

Many think it tarnishes the image of their brand to have whackos commenting. But...commentinf keeps people logging on.

 

[ShootSpeeders]

Comment sections have come and gone with many media outlets,,so?

They don't come and go. Once an outlet cancels comments, they don't bring them back.

 

[Roadrunner]

Many think it tarnishes the image of their brand to have whackos commenting. But...commentinf keeps people logging on.

Whackos got free speech rights too.

; - )

 

[jwoodie]

"Journalism" attracts weak-minded people who want to espouse their beliefs without having to defend them.

 

[AceRothstein]

They all have comments sections on Facebook pages which probably works out better as you are only semi-anonymous and probably won't make ignorant comments like you would on the news site where you are fully anonymous.

 

[Mad Scientist]

They don't like getting their bullshit called out in real time for everyone to see.

 

[turzovka]

They don't like getting their bullshit called out in real time for everyone to see.

And CNN and Bloomberg know B.S.

(not to mention most all others)

It's obvious... major media outlets are in the game for altering opinions not honest journalistic reporting.