Independent New Hampshire Journalism · Northfield, NH

Comment Policy

Comments are welcome. Here is what gets through, and what does not.

Comments are open because argument is useful and readers often know things the newsroom does not. They are moderated because a comment section with no standards turns into a sewer within a week. Here is exactly what gets through and what does not.

Every comment is reviewed

Comments are moderated before they appear, so there is usually a delay. Being on-topic and civil does not guarantee publication, and the newsroom is under no obligation to run any given comment. Approval is not endorsement. A comment reflects the person who wrote it, not Granite State Report.

What gets removed

The following do not make it past moderation, or get pulled after the fact:

• False statements of fact presented as fact, and defamation aimed at a person or business.
• Threats, harassment, or campaigns targeting a private individual.
• Slurs and attacks on people for their race, religion, sex, nationality, disability, or the like.
• Posting someone’s private information — home address, phone number, and similar — without consent.
• Spam, advertising, and drive-by self-promotion.
• Off-topic derailing and impersonating someone else.

Disagreement is welcome

You can disagree with the reporting, the editor, or other readers as sharply as you like. Bring facts, name the error, make the case. The line is simple: go after the argument, not the person. A well-aimed rebuttal is worth more than a hundred insults and is far more likely to be published.

Spotted an error?

If you catch a factual mistake in an article, say so in the comments — that is a service, not an attack. Better still, email the editor so it can be checked and fixed quickly. See the Corrections Policy for how that works.

Repeat violations

The newsroom may edit a comment for length or formatting, or remove one, without notice. People who keep breaking these standards get blocked. That is the whole enforcement mechanism, and it is used sparingly.