Social Media Comment & Moderation Policy

Purpose

The Geneseo Current views community discussion as an important part of local journalism. Our social media pages exist to share information, encourage discussion, answer questions, and allow community members to express differing viewpoints.

People are not required to agree with The Current, our reporting, quoted sources, other commenters, or one another.

Moderation decisions are based on behavior—not viewpoint.

1. General Comment Standards

We generally allow comments that include:

  • Support or opposition to issues

  • Criticism of The Current, our reporting, or our methods

  • Questions about sourcing, reporting, or editorial decisions

  • Criticism of public officials, organizations, businesses, or decisions

  • Sarcasm, negative reactions, or emotional responses

  • Reactions (e.g., laugh, angry, etc.)

  • Differing opinions from the article or other commenters

  • Civil debate between readers

Comments will not be removed simply because they are negative, unpopular, critical, or contrary to The Current’s position—or because we believe they are incorrect.

2. When The Current May Respond

We may respond when:

  • A factual question is asked

  • Additional context would improve understanding

  • A possible factual error is identified

  • Our sourcing or reporting process is questioned

  • A correction or clarification would benefit readers

Responses should prioritize facts, sources, and clarity—not argument.

Our goal is to inform, not win the comment section. We are not obligated to respond to every comment.

3. When We Will Not Engage

We generally avoid extended engagement when:

  • A question has already been answered

  • Discussion becomes repetitive or circular

  • The commenter is primarily seeking argument or provocation

  • The conversation shifts to personal attacks

  • No meaningful new information would be added

  • The commenter repeatedly ignores or reframes answers

  • Engagement is consuming disproportionate staff time

Not responding does not indicate that misinformation is being accepted. In many cases, allowing readers to evaluate information independently is appropriate.

4. Content That May Be Hidden or Removed

We may hide or remove comments that include:

  • Threats or encouragement of violence

  • Harassment or targeted personal abuse

  • Doxxing or private personal information

  • Discriminatory slurs or targeted identity-based attacks

  • Sexually explicit material

  • Spam, scams, or commercial promotion

  • Repetitive or spam-like duplicate comments

  • Deliberate disruption of discussion

  • Impersonation

  • False attribution of statements to The Current

  • Potentially defamatory factual accusations about private individuals

  • Content violating platform rules

We distinguish between opinions (which generally remain) and content that creates safety, privacy, harassment, or legal concerns.

5. Criticism of The Current

Criticism of The Current receives broad protection and is generally allowed. Such comments should normally remain visible.

We will not remove or block users solely for repeated criticism. When appropriate, we may respond with sourcing, corrections, or additional context.

6. Reactions to Sensitive Content

Reactions (including laugh or angry reactions) to serious or sensitive stories will generally not be moderated.

A reaction alone is not harassment, and we do not infer intent from emojis or reactions.

7. Blocking and Account Restrictions

Blocking is a last resort and should not be used for:

  • Disagreement with The Current

  • Criticism of journalism or ethics

  • Political or ideological differences

  • Negative or sarcastic comments

  • Reactions (laugh/angry/etc.)

  • General frustration or argumentativeness

Blocking may be appropriate when a user:

  • Harasses staff or other commenters

  • Issues threats

  • Repeatedly posts prohibited content after warnings

  • Uses spam or scam tactics

  • Creates multiple accounts to evade moderation

  • Shares private identifying information

  • Engages in sustained disruptive behavior that prevents meaningful discussion

Whenever possible, use less severe actions (hiding comments, warnings) before blocking.

8. Commenting Availability

Our default position is to allow comments.

We may limit or disable comments when necessary to:

  • Protect minors

  • Protect victims of crime or abuse

  • Prevent harm during active emergencies or misinformation risks

  • Address highly sensitive personal situations

  • Manage situations where moderation cannot reasonably keep up with threats or harassment

We do not disable comments simply because a topic is controversial or unpopular.

9. Corrections and Reporting Questions

We treat potential errors as opportunities to verify and improve accuracy.

  • If we are wrong, we correct it clearly.

  • If we are correct, we may explain sourcing or methodology.

  • We provide context when appropriate, without compromising confidentiality or legal obligations.

10. Documentation

For significant moderation actions (especially blocking), we may document the behavior when practical to ensure transparency and consistency.

11. Consistency

Moderation standards apply equally regardless of:

  • Political affiliation or viewpoint

  • Subscriber or non-subscriber status

  • Public or private status

  • Business or personal relationships

  • Prior positive or negative engagement with The Current

Personal relationships, politics, or advertising status do not influence moderation decisions.

Our Standard

The Geneseo Current does not aim for a comment section free of disagreement, criticism, or uncomfortable opinions.

We do aim for a space free of threats, harassment, intimidation, and exposure of private information.

We moderate conduct, not disagreement.

Our responsibility is to report accurately, correct errors, provide reliable information, and allow readers to draw their own conclusions.