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Original poster

The Times is now turning off comments on all 'gender' articles

135 replies

MiladyBerserko · 13/03/2022 10:13

The Times continue to cover this issue but now turn off comments on all 'gender' related articles. They do not turn off reader comments on any other topic, except where there is an open legal issue.

I am beyond frustrated with this. The Guardian nailed their colours to the 'Transwomen are women' mast a long time ago and disallow comments.

Now The Times seemingly cannot / will not allow reader feedback.

What is it about this issue that makes organisations run scared?

OP posts:
teawamutu · 13/03/2022 10:16

I don't know, but lots of subscribers have taken to commenting on those stories on every other story. It's going to be interesting to see how the Times responds.

happydappy2 · 13/03/2022 10:18

I am really uneasy about this-The Times have an article in the Scottish section today about how harmful gender ideology is to children-my comment was published, received a like and then comments have been turned off.

Who is putting pressure on them not to allow comments? How can they do this?

malloo · 13/03/2022 10:20

I suspect it may be because of the large number of comments and the time commitment needed to moderate them.

Original poster
MiladyBerserko · 13/03/2022 10:25

@malloo

I suspect it may be because of the large number of comments and the time commitment needed to moderate them.
I think this may be the reasoning but the answer is do not moderate. They already have the details of all subscribers. It is clear that people are responsible for their own published words.

This is censorship, pure and simple.

OP posts:
ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 13/03/2022 10:45

Does the Times do their own moderation or do they outsource that to OpenWeb too?

Original poster
MiladyBerserko · 13/03/2022 10:47

I think it's outsourced. But they are still censoring their subscribers.

OP posts:
Cuck00soup · 13/03/2022 13:07

They have pissed off a lot of their subscribers with this. Such a shame after John Whybrow (? Sp) supported Janice Turner in a recent radio interview.

MrsOvertonsWindow · 13/03/2022 13:18

I suspect that Press for Change and the other groups who've been able to silence and manipulate the press for so long are continuing to exercise their Putin like approach to democracy and free speech and are threatening use their massive funding to engage the media in costly legal battles base on below the line comments?
They've been able to capture all our institutions via their secret backroom deals for so long that the emerging of democracy, accountability and the rights of others must be a shock for them. As the Times continues to report the issues freely, I suspect they've decided that sacrificing comments are worth allowing journalists to report all the continuing scandals / outrages around this issue.

Gastonia · 13/03/2022 13:20

I posted about this yesterday. I am really cross about it. I feel there would be a good article about this for The Spectator, say, as clearly a lot of subscribers feel annoyed about this censorship. It's totally different from their editorial policy.

butnobodytoldme · 13/03/2022 14:12

Can we continue the next-item-along-comments work round, as currently practiced, which gives solid support for women and the pro-women columnists they do publish, to their credit? But also, choose a regular target, because not all politicians will read comments on (today) Sheeran. What section of the paper would they be pretty certain to read?

BettyFilous · 13/03/2022 14:19

The silencing of this debate has disproportionate impact on women who are now prevented by engaging in the Times comments by their recent policy on closing comments on gender (sic) articles. Is this not indirect sex discrimination by a service provider and in breach of the equality act?

BettyFilous · 13/03/2022 14:21

from engaging

OvaHere · 13/03/2022 14:49

Perhaps we could use this thread to signpost each day which comment section is being used that day to discuss the articles where comments aren't allowed. Ridiculous I know. Grin

I've found some comments about the Starmer article on this piece about the cultural boycott of Russia.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/this-is-a-war-so-dont-dance-with-the-enemy-sjktzf9nl

butnobodytoldme · 13/03/2022 14:51

@BettyFilous

The silencing of this debate has disproportionate impact on women who are now prevented by engaging in the Times comments by their recent policy on closing comments on gender (sic) articles. Is this not indirect sex discrimination by a service provider and in breach of the equality act?
What an excellent point. Trouble is, Times is the only main paper willing to publish the GC articles, and they are doing it, steadily and frequently now.

It would be the worse for us if they choose between not allowing articles OR not allowing reader-responses.

Politicians of every party don't givadam about the public (proof abounds) So, how can we attempt to reach them?

I'm flailing here, but if there's anything they may look at, and may even be seduced into reading comments on, maybe that's where to aim a GC reader response?

OvaHere · 13/03/2022 14:51

Also this one about Sunak and NI rise.
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sunak-must-be-flexible-above-all-and-put-off-the-ni-rise-797ghfbvn

butnobodytoldme · 13/03/2022 14:56

[quote OvaHere]Perhaps we could use this thread to signpost each day which comment section is being used that day to discuss the articles where comments aren't allowed. Ridiculous I know. Grin

I've found some comments about the Starmer article on this piece about the cultural boycott of Russia.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/this-is-a-war-so-dont-dance-with-the-enemy-sjktzf9nl[/quote]
Sorry @OvaHere, cross posted. The crash test dummies article has GC comment, and the Ned Sheeran one is pretty solid GC, being next-one-along at the moment.
But I guess the comments on Mr Sheeran won't necessarily attract many politicians.

butnobodytoldme · 13/03/2022 14:58

What part of a newspaper DOES interest rich men?

Ereshkigalangcleg · 13/03/2022 14:58

They've been able to capture all our institutions via their secret backroom deals for so long that the emerging of democracy, accountability and the rights of others must be a shock for them. As the Times continues to report the issues freely, I suspect they've decided that sacrificing comments are worth allowing journalists to report all the continuing scandals / outrages around this issue.

Yes that seems quite a plausible explanation. Plus the American "social credit" style company they've outsourced to as pp have mentioned.

OvaHere · 13/03/2022 15:01

@butnobodytoldme

What part of a newspaper DOES interest rich men?
Sport would be a good one. All types of men read those.

I guess the Money section too.

OvaHere · 13/03/2022 15:06

@Ereshkigalangcleg

They've been able to capture all our institutions via their secret backroom deals for so long that the emerging of democracy, accountability and the rights of others must be a shock for them. As the Times continues to report the issues freely, I suspect they've decided that sacrificing comments are worth allowing journalists to report all the continuing scandals / outrages around this issue.

Yes that seems quite a plausible explanation. Plus the American "social credit" style company they've outsourced to as pp have mentioned.

I think they should decide between allowing comments or not allowing comments across the entire paper. It's the in between that winds people up.

When all news was print media nobody could comment other than writing a letter to the paper or Points of View. So as a society we'd probably cope with that.

Censoring some but allowing others erodes trust more than not bothering with a BTL section at all.

flyingbuttress43 · 13/03/2022 15:11

The Times is not the only paper willing to publish GC articles butnobodytoldme
The Daily Telegraph has articles pretty much every day on the issue.

VelvetChairGirl · 13/03/2022 15:17

@MiladyBerserko

The Times continue to cover this issue but now turn off comments on all 'gender' related articles. They do not turn off reader comments on any other topic, except where there is an open legal issue.

I am beyond frustrated with this. The Guardian nailed their colours to the 'Transwomen are women' mast a long time ago and disallow comments.

Now The Times seemingly cannot / will not allow reader feedback.

What is it about this issue that makes organisations run scared?

write to them and complain
MidCenturyClegs · 13/03/2022 15:22

A response that has been circulating regarding comments being switched off on women's rights articles was this:

The Times is now turning off comments on all 'gender' articles
MidCenturyClegs · 13/03/2022 15:26

So for:

  1. legal issues, or 2) sensitive topics

The Sunday Times Editorial team can be contacted at the following addresses:

· Sunday Times News: [email protected]
· Sunday Times World News: [email protected]
· News Review: [email protected]
· Sunday Times Sport: [email protected]
. Culture and arts: [email protected]
· Sunday
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NOTANUM · 13/03/2022 15:29

Long time Times subscriber and I’m very surprised about it. I just about understood it for yesterdays article about the couple (woman and trans woman) as it was a bit sensitive, particularly the part about no sex life, but it’s otherwise a new departure.

It’s a shame because they have allowed Janice Turner a voice. I’m going to write a complaint.

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