Making sense of user comments: Identifying journalists’ requirements for a comment analysis framework

Wiebke Loosen; Marlo Häring; Zijad Kurtanović; Lisa Merten; Julius Reimer; Lies van Roessel; Walid Maalej

doi:10.5771/2192-4007-2017-4-333

Contents
- Chapter Expand | CollapseAuthorsPage
- Titelei/Inhaltsverzeichnis
- 315–332 EDITORIAL 315–332
  - Online user comments across news and other content formats: Multidisciplinary perspectives, new directions Marc Ziegele, Nina Springer, Pablo Jost, Scott Wright Marc Ziegele, Nina Springer, Pablo Jost, Scott Wright
- 333–443 FULL PAPER 333–443
  - 333–364 Making sense of user comments: Identifying journalists’ requirements for a comment analysis framework Wiebke Loosen, Marlo Häring, Zijad Kurtanović, Lisa Merten, Julius Reimer, Lies van Roessel, Walid Maalej Wiebke Loosen, Marlo Häring, Zijad Kurtanović, Lisa Merten, Julius Reimer, Lies van Roessel, Walid Maalej 333–364
  - 365–394 Facebook discussions of journalistic news: Investigating article objectivity, topic, and media brand as influencing factors Lara Brückner, Wolfgang Schweiger Lara Brückner, Wolfgang Schweiger 365–394
  - 395–419 Replying, disliking, flagging: How users engage with uncivil and impolite comments on news sites Anja Kalch, Teresa K. Naab Anja Kalch, Teresa K. Naab 395–419
  - 420–443 Effects of exemplars and base-rate information on online physician rating sites Anne Reinhardt, Winja Weber, Constanze Rossmann Anne Reinhardt, Winja Weber, Constanze Rossmann 420–443
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SCM Studies in Communication and Media , page 333 - 364

Making sense of user comments: Identifying journalists’ requirements for a comment analysis framework

Autoren

Wiebke Loosen Marlo Häring Zijad Kurtanović Lisa Merten Julius Reimer Lies van Roessel Walid Maalej

DOI
- doi.org/10.5771/2192-4007-2017-4-333
- ISSN: 2192-4007
- ISSN online: 2192-4007
Abstract

Newsrooms are still searching for ways to manage user comments because of both a desire for professional distance from their audiences and a lack of analytical tools. This paper presents findings from our exploratory, interdisciplinary study in journalism research and computer science that focuses on the algorithmic classification and clustering of user comments. In contrast to endeavours that aim at filtering out hate speech or spam, we take a more constructive approach and focus on detecting particularly useful or high-quality user contributions that can be leveraged for journalistic purposes. On the basis of a literature review and our own preliminary research on audience participation and user review analytics, we developed a mock-up of a software framework to help journalists systematically analyze user comments to this end. We then surveyed its effectiveness through two group discussions - one with comment moderators and another with editors from different editorial departments of a large German online newsroom. Features that journalists and comment moderators considered useful include the categorization of user comments in pro- and contra-arguments towards a certain topic, the automated assessment of comments' quality as well as the identification of surprising or exceptional comments and those that present new questions, arguments or viewpoints.
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