The DTM

The DTM

Share this post

The DTM
The DTM
Freedom of Reach: how our local news landscapes have changed
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More

Freedom of Reach: how our local news landscapes have changed

When Facebook arrived I thought that having to reveal your identity would make things better. Boy, was I wrong.

David McNair
Oct 07, 2020
∙ Paid
1

Share this post

The DTM
The DTM
Freedom of Reach: how our local news landscapes have changed
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
Share

Back in 2006, when The Hook, a now defunct alt-weekly I was working for in Charlottesville, Virginia, began putting all their stories online, one of the most dramatic changes was how the online comments under the stories grew. Sometimes there were as many as 400 comments under stories, with a greater word count than the story itself, and often the discussions got so unruly and abusive that we had to begin moderating them. What struck me at the time was how willing people were, often under anonymous handle names, to abuse and attack each other. Granted, much of the discussion was also intelligent and healthy, but far too often it was mean and combative, and questionable information and accusations were shared. I remember thinking at the time that interacting with other people this way was problematic, as the lack of intimacy online seemed to allow people to be far more harsh than they would be if they were interacting with someone face-to-face. This began to soften a bit over time, as …

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to The DTM to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 David McNair
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share

Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More