About writer verification and moderation of social media comments

By Paula Scott

As the editor of the Bluffton Icon and Ada Icon, I welcome letters on topics of special interest to residents in our readership areas. I also welcome comments on our social media channels.

LETTERS TO THE ICON
The Icon publishes all kinds of letters, including thank you notes, responses to articles read, comments on local ballot items and communication from local elected officials, schools, businesses and non-profit organizations.

Letters should include your full name, address and phone number for verification purposes. Only your name and city of residence will be shown when a letter is published on the Icons.

Please email letters to [email protected] or use our contact form.

Letters must be original and civil in tone. Individual disputes or complaints about businesses and organizations will not be published. In all cases, I will use my discretion when deciding whether to post a letter.

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COMMENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Icon viewers also have the opportunity to make comments on Icon social media channels, which currently include Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

On most days we share the top three headlines from the Icon websites. To use a printed paper concept, that’s the information “above the fold,” meaning it’s been given the highest priority.

These are just the headlines, which we hope will entice you to click through to the Icons’ websites. Please click on the links provided and read articles before posing questions.

As the editor, I moderate comments on the Icons’ social media channels. It is extremely rare, but I do remove content that I consider inappropriate for the Icon’s online spaces. 

In a nutshell: keep it polite and fit for public consumption.

I hide or remove comments that 

• Are off-topic
• Aren’t civil in tone
• Make complaints against an individual, business or organization
• May be making unsupported claims

Hidden comments on Facebook can still be seen by the individual and their contacts.

I also hide comments that tag an individual; it is preferable to use the share function. 

JOIN IN THE CONVERSATION
If you have letters for Icon readers or information to share with the Bluffton Icon or Ada Icon, please email [email protected] or [email protected].

Thank you so much for reading the Bluffton Icon and Ada Icon and for engaging on topics of community interest.