PETITION CLOSED

  • The time period for signing this petition has ended.
  1. Signatures
    22 out of 100
    Petitioning
    1. StarTribune
  2. Created By
    Steven Clift
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

Stop the insanity with poor quality online comments. Require real names and city on most online news comments - increase the quality and civility, then I'll consider buying a new digital subscription.

It makes sense that if the Minneapolis StarTribune produces a quality news and information product, as readers we should contribute. The problem is that we aren't just a one-way audience - we want to be engaged.

Instead of engaging the vast majority of your readers, you've adopted online news commenting that attracts the most extreme, the least civil, and simply aggressive and unwelcoming. In short, using aliases empowers the jerks and scares away the everyday folks.

Whether you use Facebook commenting or some other approach, the time is now to serve your community with quality engagement that measures up to your mission and in this case our willingness to contribute to your bottom line and support your advertisers.

For those who say, what about whistle blowers, we say create a moderated back channel for those with a legitimate fear of retribution. This isn't China and there are thousands of places online where the jerks you empower can waste others time with useless diatribe and stay an anonymous coward.

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Require real names on comments, then I'll consider digital subscription

Greetings,

I just signed the following petition addressed to: StarTribune.

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Require real names on comments, then I'll consider digital subscription

Stop the insanity with poor quality online comments. Require real names and city on most online news comments - increase the quality and civility, then I'll consider buying a new digital subscription.

It makes sense that if the Minneapolis StarTribune produces a quality news and information product, as readers we should contribute. The problem is that we aren't just a one-way audience - we want to be engaged.

Instead of engaging the vast majority of your readers, you've adopted online news commenting that attracts the most extreme, the least civil, and simply aggressive and unwelcoming. In short, using aliases empowers the jerks and scares away the everyday folks.

Whether you use Facebook commenting or some other approach, the time is now to serve your community with quality engagement that measures up to your mission and in this case our willingness to contribute to your bottom line and support your advertisers.

For those who say, what about whistle blowers, we say create a moderated back channel for those with a legitimate fear of retribution. This isn't China and there are thousands of places online where the jerks you empower can waste others time with useless diatribe and stay an anonymous coward.
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Sincerely,

[Your name]

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