I generally get up every morning and take a quick look at the CBC and Guardian web sites and I usually click on a few stories that seem interesting and then I take a look at the comments that follow to get a sense of how the readers feel. Generally you have to discount about 50% of them being politically biased but there are always a few serious constructive comments that usually show you how people are thinking.... for some reason there are always more comments made in the Guardian reports than the CBC and one might say that is due to a larger Guardian following but I'm sure there are lots of other theories for this.... in any event it's been my experience most stories get about 15 to 20 comments but a "hot issue" might conjure up about 40 to 50 responses and half that amount would respond to a CBC report... so I was very surprised today to look at the following CBC report and see 574 responses of which I've copied a few that might give you a sense of where the story is going... in fact one reader suggests... Any article that generates over 500 commentaries shall from this day forth, be known as a "Duffy." .... for a guy who's been in the media all his life he certainly didn't learn a lot on how to deal with it... Duff's obviously struck a nerve...Duffy won't apologize for saying P.E.I. will 'get the shaft'
Friday, February 6, 2009 Comments 574
CBC News
Under fire from a fellow senator, two premiers and the leader of P.E.I.'s Opposition, Senator Mike Duffy says he won't apologize for his remarks about the dangers of the Island getting in bed with Newfoundland and Labrador. for the rest of the story..... http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2009/02/06/pe-duffy-unapologetic.html
The following are just a few of the 574 comments....
Grant Jonasson wrote: Posted 2009/02/07at 3:06 AM ET Of course he won't apologize - he was pompous and arrogant on TV, so what's preventing him behaving the same way in the Senate?
Catherine F wrote: Posted 2009/02/06at 11:56 PM ET To those who make ignorant and uninformed comments like skippi, may the curse of the Irish follow you the rest of your days.
Grant Dickin wrote: Posted 2009/02/06at 11:45 PM ET Poor Mike Duffy - a gross failure as a journalist - and now on display as an embarassing failure as a Senator. Already,
CoryBarnes wrote: Posted 2009/02/06at 10:04 PM ET Isn't he the obnoxious tabloid reporter who harassed Margaret Trudeau at Pierre Trudeau's funeral by bringing up the death of Michel Trudeau? What a piece of garbage that man is.
Marks and Angles wrote: Posted 2009/02/06at 6:00 PM ET Any article that generates over 500 commentaries shall from this day forth, be known as a "Duffy."
3 comments:
Tim,
There are more comments on the guardian site because you don't have to set up an account to leave them and you can use any email address or name you want and the comment will be posted.
On the CBC site you have to go through the bother of setting up an account with them, they will send you one verifying email to the email address you provided before allowing you to post.
Of course many people simply set up a fake hotmail account for this purpose so it's really not much better than the guardian site although it does stop some people from posting (perhaps the less intelligent ones that can't figure this out).
But that is why the CBC gets less comments. I think the guardian approach makes for much more lively debate though.
signed,
One of your employees,
Guess who?
"A Duffy" now that is a good one. Kind of a spin on "Jumping the shark!"
Oh, completely off topic Tim, but Happy Islander Day! Thought you might have blogged on this, since you are not recognized as an Islander :-)
These holidays are getting out of control, longer school years and employers having to shell out more pay for days not worked (particularly hard in this economy).
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