It is now a day further on from the ruckus caused by the author and commentator Kia Abdullah, and her achievement in implicating the Guardian in what was in reality a moment of purely personal stupidity. But at the bear pit that is Maily Telegraph blogland, the comments stream following Will Heaven’s post on the affair continues to resemble a sewer.
As indicated at the end of my post yesterday, I contacted the moderators in search of an explanation. The result was as predictable as it was disappointing: a standard reply suggesting that, should I object to any comment, I should “report” it. The wider point about proscribing certain behaviours while not in reality dealing with them was not addressed. Some comments, however, were edited later in the day.
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But one commenter has got Will Heaven figured out: “Insensitive journalism just so he could have a dig at the Guardian” is spot on. Because that is the only plausible reason for this post. And what it has underscored is that the Telegraph pays lip service only to its own comments policy, allowing racist, misogynist, Islamophobic, sexist and abusive behaviour to flourish unchecked.
Isn’t it about time that this sewer was cleaned up – for good?
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