Community Guidelines
You, our readers are at the heart of our business; you shape our content by making your voices heard, spark new ideas and offer alternative perspectives. The guidelines below relate to commenting on stories ‘below the line’ and are intended to ensure the website remains a space for intelligent, free-ranging debate.
As a registered member of newsxmedia.com you can:
- Comment on content and videos*
- React to content and videos*
We won’t assume that you support all of our views. Not making assumptions about you, we hope, is a sign of our respect for your views; and we hope that you will show the same respect to other users of our site. That ethic is behind our moderation too.
Our moderators strive to be sensitive to context when making decisions. However, large volumes of comments mean it is impractical to enter prolonged conversations over moderating decisions.
We reserve the right to delete comments – or ban users – without notification or explanation.
Comments
To leave a comment on the website, you need to sign up for an account. The easiest way to do this is using a social media account.
Deleting comments
If you’ve left a comment you want to delete, just click the grey x in the top right corner of the comment and it’ll be deleted. There’s no way to restore a comment that’s been deleted, and deleting a comment also deletes all of the replies to it. Keep this in mind when you’re leaving a reply; the person who left the first comment ‘owns’ that thread, and can delete your comment along with their own if they don’t like the tone of the thread. This is another reason to be respectful of your fellow commenters.
Flagging comments
If a comment is beyond the pale, and includes a personal attack or insult, it’s possible to flag it to bring it to the attention of the moderators. You can do this by clicking the flag below the comment. Any user can flag an inappropriate comment.
The moderation process
Our moderation Programme automatically refers for moderation comments which contain certain words. When a comment has been referred for moderation, it is suspended from the site until a moderator has approved it for publication. This process usually takes less than 24 hours.
If you notice a comment you’ve made does not appear on the site immediately, this is likely to be the reason why. Unless it contains abusive language, or in any other way contravenes our community standards it will reappear on the site within 24 hours.
Personal attacks
We make a distinction between lively criticism of an argument, belief or style of writing and attacks on individuals. Comments that are abusive to other commenters or our journalists will not be tolerated.
Hate-speech and inciting violence
We will not tolerate sexist, racist, homophobic, and other discriminatory language or views. Nor comments which are defamatory, malicious, threatening, false, misleading, offensive or abusive. Comments which incite violence or appear threatening or harassing will also be deleted – and those users banned.
Bad language or indecency
Comments which include swear words will automatically be referred for moderation and usually deleted. Any swearing directed at another user will automatically be deleted (see: ‘Personal attacks’). Experience has taught us that banning bad language raises the level of debate, so even though we know you’ve heard it all before, please keep it clean! It’s always frustrating to have to delete an otherwise great comment, because it includes swearing.
Please also refrain from posting any content which could be seen to be indecent, obscene or of a sexual nature.
Privacy & impersonation
Respect the privacy of other commenters and don’t include personal addresses, email addresses, phone numbers or full names in your post. Do not impersonate another user in your post.
Off-topic spats
In any online community its usual for regular commenters to get to know each other and each other’s views. However please refrain from breaking off from the topic under discussion to engage in personal chats or spats.
Flagging wars
Flags are an important way for commenters to communicate with the moderator. Please don’t abuse the flagging function by using it as a weapon in personal vendettas.
Keep it brief
We think 200 words is enough to develop your argument without disrupting the rhythm of debate.
Repetition
Our moderating system will automatically flag comments from the same user in a single thread if they exceed the frequency limit. This is intended to encourage interaction and prevent a single user from dominating the debate.
Links and URL’s
If you include a link to another site, please be sure the content complies with these community guidelines and is relevant to the topic. Any comments including unsuitable links will be deleted, but we should not be assumed to endorse any link which has not been deleted.
Copyright and libel
We reserve the right to protect ourselves from legal action by closing comments on videos reporting on ongoing court cases or otherwise. We will also delete comments which we deem potentially defamatory or in breach of copyright. Commenters using another video’s comment thread to open discussion on a topic closed to comments will be banned.
Please note that you are responsible for your posts and we will not accept any liability for their content or accuracy. We also reserve the right to republish your posts, which is another reason why we are including your contribution on the clear understanding that your posts are your own work and not copied from others.
By contributing posts, you are agreeing to all the above and warranting that your comments are not defamatory, obscene or in breach of anyone else’s rights. This means generally that you must own the rights in everything you submit or must obtain permission from the rights owner to submit the material.
Spam
Newsxmedia.com is intended as a platform for the exchange of views and ideas. Comments intended to sell a product or promote commercial interests will be deleted, as will multiple posts.
Write in English
Unfortunately, we are not in a position to offer a moderation service for comments in languages other than English. For simplicity, therefore, comments in languages other than English will be automatically deleted. This also applies to html code.
Technical Issues
Comments containing content which is technically harmful (including, without limitation, computer viruses, logic bombs, Trojan horses, worms, harmful components, corrupted data or other malicious software, harmful data or conduct) are not permitted. Nor is any activity which attempts to get round any protections we put in place for the security and operation of the website.
Breaches of these guidelines
Please do not leave comments which are in breach of these guidelines, our Terms of Use, or any of our other policies.
If you have any questions regarding moderation or the newsxmedia.com community please contact [email protected]. Or if you wish to report what you feel is a violation of these community guidelines, please flag the comment first. For more complex issues please complete the online form.