AFTER THE REDSKINS' Sean Taylor was murdered in his South Florida home, rumors and speculation about his death floated everywhere, especially on the Internet.
Some commenters on newspaper and blog sites assumed that Taylor was involved in something negative (drugs, violence, etc.) and that was why he was killed. Sometimes, the commenters became racist - Taylor is African American. They made assumptions about his life based upon the color of his skin.
Some media companies have people who monitor comments and they eliminate the rude and possibly defamatory ones. But that requires a person monitoring every story online and every comment posted. That is a lot of work that many media companies cannot afford to cover.
Who is ultimately responsible for material like that being published online? Can you blame the media outlet for what commenters post at the bottom of online stories?
Is it wrong to censor comments? Shouldn't the public be allowed to have a voice? Or do the media have a responsibility to maintain civility?
By the way, if you have not read this story by Inquirer sports columnist David Aldridge, read it now. It is a wonderful appeal to end violence.
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