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To the Point

Online Comments: Freedom of Speech or the Bane of the Internet?

To the Point

KCRW

News

4.4583 Ratings

🗓️ 28 November 2013

⏱️ 52 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Internet sites are grappling with an issue akin to the freedom of speech. It's all about online comments that are offensive, off-point or that distort researched science.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hi, I'm Orman Alney, host of To the Point, produced at the non-profit public radio station, KCRW.

0:05.8

We're going to start this podcast in just a few seconds. First, though, I just want to ask you for a little

0:09.9

support, because in order to be comprehensive, we have to talk to people all over the world. That's

0:15.0

expensive. We have six producers, and they work very hard. That adds to what we need to do in order to try to meet your expectations.

0:24.5

So we've made it easy to help.

0:26.0

You can donate $10 by texting KCRW to 20222.

0:31.3

Do that, if you will.

0:32.6

Let's now start the show.

0:33.8

And thanks.

0:35.1

From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point.

0:43.6

Online comments, a bastion of free speech or the bane of the Internet.

0:51.0

Hello again, I'm Norman Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International.

0:54.8

Let daily look at the issues Americans care about most. Popular Science wants online comments to encourage learned debate,

1:01.3

but so many are so wrong, they damage the credibility of important research. The Huffington Post gets 9 million comments a month,

1:08.0

but 75% are so vile, mean, or obscene they never get posted.

1:13.1

We'll hear why some websites won't permit anonymity anymore, while others are banning online

1:18.2

comment completely.

1:19.7

Does free speech have limits?

1:21.2

Or are 100 stupid, cruel, or disruptive comments worth one that makes for good reading?

1:26.6

Today's talking point, nararko Corridos,

1:29.1

scary lyrics, set to happy music. First, here's the news.

1:37.1

Listen to KCRW's 24-hour all-news channel. Stream BBC World Service, NPRW KCRW programs, continuous coverage and accessible via our

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