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Publisher’s message: Big change coming to Chelsea Update

As the year comes to a close and I plan for 2021 and the future of Chelsea Update, a big change is in the cards.

I won’t bury the lede, I plan to turn off the ability for readers to comment on stories.

I spend many, many hours every day editing and writing Chelsea Update for all of you, and each year I look back and ponder what worked and what didn’t during the year.

As a primarily one-person daily news source, and a small business, it’s not just publishing the news that takes place each day, there are also many business-side decisions as well.

So, in an effort to provide readers with the most news possible each day (plus expanded coverage of the Lyndon and Sylvan township board meetings) I have decided to eliminate comments on stories. Many online news sources have done this previously in an effort to save staff the very time-consuming task of monitoring them.

Chelsea Update has always served as a connection for the community and comments were one way to provide this service. However, many people didn’t realize that the policy was you must use your real name to post a comment. So, if a commenter didn’t provide their name, I followed up with them and explained the policy.

Some folks were understanding, some were offended, and others accused me of all kinds of nefariousness. 

Since every word that publishes on Chelsea Update goes through me first or in the case of comments, is approved by me, the increase in the number of comments was a very time-consuming task. Time that has taken away from providing you with more news or dealing with the business-end of Chelsea Update.

It’s a tough decision and I’m sure there will be readers who will be disappointed with it, but after almost 9 years, it’s one that’s necessary for me to continue to provide you with all the news that’s fit to print daily. (And get a good night’s sleep every night.)

If you feel strongly about a topic or a story I’ve published, you are welcome to send a short letter to the editor with your name and the town you live in. I will still gladly publish Letters to the Editor. They won’t provide the instant ability to express your opinion, but a letter to the editor still allows you to provide feedback.

It’s a compromise, yes, but one that is necessary. And the good news is, this won’t happen until Jan, 1, 2021 so you can still instantly express your opinions on this decision on this story. Who knows, maybe someone will come up with a compelling argument to change my mind. Stranger things have happened in 2020 as we all know.

Readers are always welcome to contact me via the Contact Us button on the home page of Chelsea Update or by emailing me at [email protected].

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20 thoughts on “Publisher’s message: Big change coming to Chelsea Update”

  1. Lisa, thank-you for all your hard work and keeping Chelsea news available to us. I think it’s a good idea to turn off the comments option. What we can say in the moment may be based on emotional responses and not thought out commentaries. If it is important a letter to the editor is a good option. Happy New Year to all.

  2. Thank you for providing us with Chelsea news! I appreciate the time and effort you put in for this. I know I have commented from time to time. Presenting readers with the option to send a letter to the editor is a good suggestion. It means I can’t comment quick congratulations or questions about a subject I read about, but I can understand the time commitment on your part. If removing the time commitment of reviewing comments helps you not get burnt out doing this, then I applaud you being willing to do that.

  3. Thank you! I don’t know how many times I’ve mentioned “the old days,” when you had to use your name to get an Opinion piece or a Letter to the Editor published. The time of anonymous commenting should end. Thank you for providing such a great news source!

    • Amen Shawn!! If you don’t want your name attached to what you are writing, then perhaps you shouldn’t be writing the in the first place.
      I appreciate all you have been doing Lisa and I totally understand your reasons for ending the comments. If someone really want to add their comments, they can do so the old fashioned way. That will eliminate a lot of the spur, or heat, of the moment comments that the sender may wish to retract when it is too late. Paper and pen in a stamped and addressed envelop gives plenty of time to reconsider that’s for sure.

  4. Thank you Lisa for all of your hard work; it amazes me that this publication comes out in such frequency. Again, thank you! I applaud removing the comments section; I wish more media would follow suit as it serves no purpose. I try to avoid reading comments in my pursuit to believe there is good in everyone (borrowed from Anne Frank), but too often, unresearched, fully awful comments are posted, even on positive stories; it is heartbreaking. Peace to you and our community and continued gratitude.

  5. A big ditto to all the above comments, Lisa. I’ve become more and more discouraged about “comment” sections for ANY source, since so many allow anonymous, cruel words. You’ve done an amazing job, and anyone who really wishes to offer an opinion has the Letter to the Editor option. This is journalism at its best, so thanks for all your good work in providing us with not just the news but a lesson in civic kindness.

  6. Understand…and appreciate your efforts. However, I’ve learned about multiple sides to stories through the comments and am sorry to lose this insight. It’s become nearly impossible to learn local news.

  7. After perusing your previous posts, I see very few comments. This makes the decision to turn off commenting seem quite strange. With everything going on lately, I’m wondering if this might be a harbinger for an upcoming one sided article casting one of your advertisers in a favorable light while not allowing any members of the community to publicly refute claims. I will be waiting with bated breath; many of us will be.

  8. Thank you Lisa for providing the Chelsea community with this publication. I really appreciate your efforts to bring local news to us. I look forward to reading it everyday. Have a Happy and Better New Year. 🎉 Stay safe and well .

  9. I understand your decision. You have still given readers the opportunity to respond via a letter to the editor. I think that’s enough. The Update provides such a valuable resource for the community, we don’t want you to burn out.

  10. Please add my thanks and appreciation to the previous comments! You do a great job with very few resources, Lisa. Our community is lucky to have you! I totally support your decision.

  11. Lisa, Our community is better because of what you do 7 days a week.
    I totally support your decision. Thank you for true journalism.
    I appreciate you and your endless work.

  12. Lisa,
    I totally support your decision and understand your reasoning. I have noted that often there weren’t many reader comments anyway. Personally I will miss the opportunity to say “good job” or how much I enjoyed certain articles. I will just have to make more effort to say this in person.
    Happy New Year

  13. I’m a daily reader and really appreciate all your hard work in providing us a local news outlet. I understand the time constraints you’re working under, and completely agree with the switch to “Letters to the Editor” mode of commenting on stories. Thanks so much for all you do!

  14. Lisa,
    I understand your decision and am in your corner. You have done awesome work since The Chelsea Standard went out of business. Good memories. You filled a void. Now making “new” good memories. I didn’t realize the Chelsea Update began 9 years ago as I am a newbie to it….less than a year. Now it is a daily ritual when I open my laptop.
    I would like to go one step further and encourage readers to contribute financially to the upkeep of Chelsea Update. Once I realized the need, I set aside a monthly donation along with my church donation at the first of the month. I know you will keep up the great/much needed work for our area. Looking forward to hopefully a better 2021 all the way around. Have a joyful, safe New Year’s Eve!!!

  15. Thank you, Lisa, for the service you provide. It is probably a thankless job but a sign of a true journalist: dedication. I’m sure we can survive without commenting!

  16. Thank you Lisa very much for the huge amount of work you put into this newspaper. It is a valuable community service. I will miss the ease of a comment, but the alternative, “A Letter to the Editor”, should require more thought and more value. Let the thoughtless comments be on Facebook and Twitter.

  17. Thank You Lisa,
    We are living on Okinawa, Japan and you are our only news source for local Chelsea news.

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