NMI Live Blog sliding on slippery slope.

I had a feeling that comments, some of mine anyway, were being censored on the NMI Live Blog, link, of the legislature.

Recently, the Live Blog moderator, Matt Reichbach admitted that comments on the live blog were being censored.

It seems ironic that an effort to shine the light on the truth, can step so blithely into the role of censor.

There are comments that warrant publishing, beyond doubt. Certainly, there are comments that are clearly inappropriate to publish without at the least, admonishment, or perhaps not published at all.

That firm ground becomes slippery when you censor the first comment, and obligate yourself to then censor every following comment by the same standard.

Somewhere in the middle, there are comments that could go either way. And on 50% of those, the wrong call will be made.

It is an awesome responsibility to assume. I wish Matt good luck.

At any rate, I feel it is only fair to publicly disclose the censorship policy.

Even the Journal admits straight up; not all comments will be published.

Update; Marjorie Childress posted a comment on the live blog, writing;

"For the record, Matt Reichbach does not censor comments on the liveblog. He does "moderate" comments."

In another comment Matt wrote, and I quote;

"And we don't approve a lot of comments that are about Sens and Reps that don't add to the discussion, btw. "

If you look up censor you find;

an official who examines books, plays, news reports, motion pictures, radio and television programs, letters, cablegrams,etc., for the purpose of suppressing parts deemed objectionable on moral, political, military, or other grounds.

I stand by my report.




photo Mark Bralley