San Antonio Report readers may notice some changes when they visit our site on Feb. 1 — there will no longer be a comment section at the bottom of each story.
We are discontinuing comments for two reasons: No. 1, the staff hours and other costs associated with hosting comments on our site are not sustainable. No. 2, we want to engage more directly with readers about the issues that matter to them most.
First things first, I’d like to thank each and every one of you for engaging with our coverage over the years, and by extension, the comments — both on our site and on social media. For more than a decade, San Antonio Report commenters have added important voices to our coverage and led us to stories we might have otherwise missed.
I’m sure all of you are familiar with the now all-but-antiquated concept of a “town square” — literally, the open area in the center of a community where people gather to converse and learn from each other. The question of whether an analogous “digital town square” exists has been around as long as the internet.
When it comes to local news, are we creating the best possible spaces for community conversation? And if not, how can we improve?
Locally, a quick scan shows there are many places to speak out about community issues, but few perfect ones. Facebook groups, NextDoor threads and local website comment sections are all examples of places to gather, but those of you who are dedicated to discussing local issues thoughtfully can be quickly drowned out by a chorus of negativity.
We would rather take the time to find a better way.
Moving forward, we will refocus our newsroom’s efforts on fostering conversations through events and other on-the-ground community engagement. We’re excited about the events we have planned for 2024, including a Texas House District 121 Republican primary debate on Feb. 12, our annual San Antonio Regional Public PK-12 Education Forum on April 16, and a new event this year titled, “A View from the San Antonio C-Suite: Local leaders on the future of work” on May 9.
The San Antonio Report will also continue to post all of our stories on social media, so readers can still comment in those spaces. Find us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Threads.
In addition, we have an email inbox called comments@sareport.org, which allows our most engaged readers to respond in a note that is delivered directly to the newsroom. Occasionally, we may gather up this feedback and use it in a story.
We understand that this change may be disappointing for those of you who regularly engage with the comments on this site. We hope that you’ll join us for an in-person event in 2024 to see the approach we are taking to community engagement for yourselves.
You are also welcome to submit your thoughts and feedback to the email address above or reach out to me directly at leigh@sareport.org.
