About TV Newsrooms and Facebook

I got this email, and I thought it was worth sharing.

Just food for thought.

In the past, you've talked about your dislike of stations so heavily emphasizing their content on social media platforms they don't own (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

While I can see the merit in posting stories that lead back to your own site, and *certain* types of video (especially weather), there's one element to it I have NEVER understood:  Facebook has offered the ability to turn off comments for years. Youtube too. Same for *Twitter* except for being unable to block commentary via Quote Tweet

Reading the comments section of any local news Facebook page in any market is to root for an asteroid to strike the earth. One comment on a fire started by a homeless person in my market suggested all homeless people burn.  Why is media as an industry continuing to let bad faith actors (including people from paid troll farms) and the worst of the worst continuing to have a platform?

Extra social engagement isn't driving revenue in any meaningful way (if anything, it's hurting rev on the website and streaming platforms) on non-weather content, so why continue to let viewers say every racist thought that comes to their brain, call for the death of homeless people, say that LGBT+ people should be locked up/shot/etc...you name it.  It's the vilest of the vilest and for the life of me I don't get why we as an industry tolerate it on platforms we don't even own and can barely if at all monetize.  

Comments on stories need to go, and outside of weather content and optional engagement by talent (and not dancing), local news REALLY needs to rethink it's obsession with social and, for the love of God and once more, turn off the comments.