Editor's Note: A word on comment guidelines

Dear readers,

I have recently gotten countless phone calls, comments and e-mails regarding our comment guidelines.

The Taos News' policy on Web site comments are not new, but they are being more rigorously enforced of late since I assumed the position of Web editor. And because the comments have recently, for whatever reason, become particularly nasty, I, along with the rest of the Web staff, would like to take a moment to clear up  confusion that will understandably come up when the issues of a small community like Taos are at hand.

The Taos News strongly believes in and supports the First Amendment. However, comments that stray from the legitimate issues raised by a piece of journalism and resort in mud-slinging are irrelevant to the content or mission of a news organization. Our readers have and always will have a right to their opinions, but we must hold comments on our Web site to the standards we would hold letters to the editor or My Turn columns in the print edition.

It is the policy of the newsroom and management to adhere to the specific guidelines listed below.

So here they are:

1. We do not publish personal attacks. This rule is not limited to commenters attacking commenters, this also applies to commenters launching personal attacks against reporters and staff of The Taos News. False accusations and slanderous/libelous comments will be given the same treatment as comments that contain profanity: they are simply unacceptable.

Personal attacks are comments about a person either connected to the story in question or a reader who previously commented on the story. Personal attacks are irrelevant to the nature of the online medium and often have nothing to do with the story and the issues raised.

2. We may not be the moral police, but we have a certain obligation to morality. This is a community newspaper. Comments containing offensive or obscene language is simply not acceptable. 

3. If the comments are off limits for a story, there's a reason. In the past, comments pertaining to pending court cases or criminal offenses have simply gotten out of hand. Another problem that has come to our attention in dealing with local legal minds and law enforcement is that some of the comments that had formerly been allowed on the site can arguably taint a jury pool. Often some comments also launch accusations, which could also lead to problems.

While The Taos News respects the position of law enforcement, we also realize that often comments made in anger can worsen the situation not only for law enforcement, but for the families of both the perpetrators and victims. To that end, comments for most stories concerning serious crimes and trials will be closed.

4. Keep it relevant. If your comments are focusing more on the commentary of others than on the issues of the posted story, it will be scrutinized. We realize that this is a debatable rule that differs from story to story and comment to comment, we will do our best to be fair and weigh each comment individually. Personal attacks, accusations, name calling, side issues and comments that have little or nothing to do with the story at hand will be erased.

You may ask yourself when a comment is relevant or irrelevant to a story. For example, for a story about alternative energy or medicine, a comment would become irrelevant once the commenting reader ventured outside of their opinion about the subject of the story and strayed into commentary about political party lines.

We understand that trying to get your point across while adhering to the guidelines for an issue that is close to your heart is not easy. If you have any problems or questions, don't hesitate to let us know.

You can also read our full comment policy here.