Sunday, June 21, 2009

Reader's comments to articles

Here are web editions of some of the popular news outlets.
Times of India
Hindustan Times
Indian Express
The New Indian Express
DNA India
IBN Live
NDTV
Rediff

One common feature among all these sites, which is missing in our favourite chindu, is this: they allow readers to post comments and/or rate articles. Why does chindu not allow readers to express their opinions about articles? The only available outlet for readers is to write to the editor. We have observed several times in the past that these letters are severely censored.

In communist paradise, free spech is abhorred. The desert cults are known to suppress free thinking.

10 comments:

Dirt Digger said...

This issue and providing the ability for readers to contact the writers directly was addressed in Chindu earlier by LiC. If I remember right, he wanted all communication to through the letters to the editor column.

kuttychathan said...

When a similar complaint about the chindu online edition was raised by some readers to the readers editor, some months ago, he replied that the website of the chindu was being redesigned. How many months it take to redesign the online edition?

BarKat said...

if Hindu does not provide them why not the patrons of this blog get together to provide a forum. It is like having a script that posts a link to each article in the Hindu & provides space for comments

Kaushik said...

Incidentally, though I've thought abt this many times (not being allowed to comment), I thought about it again today - while reading this tribute to Kasturi Srinivasan.
At least ComRam believes in paying tribute to his (founding) fathers, never mind if they were characteristically pro-Hindu. Makes me wonder if The Hindu will ever return to a (pro-Hindu or at least a non-anti-Hindu) AND (Centrist or at least a not-so-ridiculously-Chinist) stand.
Pipe dreams, huh?

Anonymous said...

Steering the institution away, in a most bizaare direction, from the values of the founding fathers shows the level of indoctrination that the latter day editors (mainly Chief and Mallini P) have been subjected to in their formative years.

Kaushik said...

Any info on whether Comrade-in-Making Vidya Ram is going to continue her father's legacy with The Chindu? Or has she committed herself to China?

Hindu Fundamentalist said...

dd, n.ram did say that he wanted all communication to go thro the letters to editor. his is the only paper along with statesman which is following this practice. it is these communist propaganda machines which have an issue with hearing readers' views.

kuttychathan, i probably missed that part about redesigning the online website. i still have my reservations about comments being a part of the new design.

barkat, do you know of a simple and effective way of doing it? if so, please share with us.

kaushik, i know vidya ram in u.s. working for a newspaper - washington post or ny times? cant recollect.

Anonymous said...

One Vidya Ram works for an American business magazine (Forbes). If this person is the same as Chief's daughter then we have to take it that he has allowed her to learn all about the evils of Yankee capitalism before plunging herself to praise Chinese socialism.

Hindu Fundamentalist said...

thanks. forbes, it is.

BarKat said...

One simple way I can think of is to provide an alternate forum for letters to the editor. You can make a request to all the Hindu readers that they copy all letters they send to Cbcnn's email id ( along with letters@thehindu.co.in) . Cbcnn could then publish all these letters uncensored with identifying info like email id & full postal address removed .. i.e exactly like how Hindu publishes its letters.

I will hunt around for better solutions and let you know if I find anything elegant