Author: Brandon A. Weber / Source: Big Think
- It’s well known that abusive comments online happen to women more than men
- Such comments caused a “significant effect for the abusive comment on author credibility and intention to seek news from the author and outlet in the future”
- Some news organizations already heavily moderate or even ban comments entirely; this should underscore that effort
In a study published by Taylor Francis Online, and written by Kathleen Searles, Sophie Spencer and Adaobi Duru, it’s quite clear that abusive and “uncivil” comments (like “UR a commie lib and you eat babies — go die”) negatively affect perception of both a publication and its authors, regardless of gender.
Survey says …
DreamWorks Troll dolls are displayed as Hamleys announce its top ten toys for Christmas at Hamleys on October 6, 2016 in London, England. Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images
The study began with the knowledge that women journalists and authors receive a disproportionately higher amount of attacks, hostile comments, and abuse than men. This is well established, and continues to be a major problem on the Internet, especially Facebook. (Sometimes, it’s angry, drunk, or … psychologically challenged people. Sometimes, it’s trolls.)
But what they found is that such abusive comments will negatively affect perceptions of the publication itself, as well as the author of an article, regardless of…
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