Another time to re-evaluate Talk of the Day; do we need it?
The Talk of the Day blog is the second-oldest blog on STLtoday.com, second only to Political Fix. Some days, they might be indistinguishable. And many days, I am sorely tempted to stick a fork in TOTD and say it’s done.
If memory serves, we’ve been talking almost every day in this spot since September 2004. So it’s possible we’ve discussed more than 1,300 topics, subtracting weekends, holidays and the occasional lazy day.
Lately, I have wearied of the way every topic devolves into a partisan screed. Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals — all roads lead to the same tired, boring arguments. When will it feel like the recession is over? “When Obama leaves office.” Ha! Nobody ever thought of that answer! So original! Oh, or how about a crack about Cheney shooting someone in the face! That’s always good for a laugh — and it really enhances our dialog, too!
I fear that we’re at the end of this blog’s value if that’s all we can ever talk about. I find myself avoiding topics because I don’t want to retread the same tired one-liners.
Would you miss the Talk of the Day? Do you have any suggestions to breathe life into it? Is it worth continuing? Look, I get that politics is interesting and infinitely debatable, I just don’t think anyone’s really debating here; they’re just name-calling. So should we just never, ever talk about anything remotely related to politics?
What should we do with Talk of the Day?
Kurt is the director of social media for the Post-Dispatch, where he has worked since August 2002. He's been a journalist since 1982, covering municipal government, courts, education and two hurricanes as a reporter before becoming an editor. 
I would miss talk of the day. I have had TOTD bookmarked for 3 or 4 years now. I think I would try to avoid political discussion, for the most part. Save it for the political blogs, maybe. As you said, it doesn’t really amount to a ‘discussion’. I think you’ll always have the tee-totallers who will find a way to bring politics into anything (like those republican kittens and democratic bunnies!).
That said, this IS the talk of the day, and when something important, politically speaking, happens then throw it out there.
If you want a break from the political redundancy, maybe try a few light hearted human interest stories. Or maybe just take a week or two break.
You think this is limited to this blog? Open your eyes dude, what you describe is the same on every blog, forum, comment area, etc. General nastiness, pooslinging, etc. Some days I feel like I transported back to grade school recess when I decide to wallow into this mess. If you get rid of one for this type of problem, you might as well get rid of them all.
The problems you mention with TOTD are the same problems with allowing comments on stories. I think it all needs to go. I liked it in the beginning, but as you said, there is no debating and it always devolves no matter the subject.
If you get rid of the blogs and commenting it would seem more time could be spent on investigative pieces and quality writing instead of policing comments. I think most readers would prefer better stories over the ability to comment anyway. Besides, they can always write a letter to the editor if they want to make a comment.
I miss johnh
Good luck finding topics that, within three comments or less, won’t be turned into a screed about liberal Democrats, right-wing wing nuts, the biased media, the left-wing Post-Dispatch, radio talk haters, etc. The blog’s weakness reflects the Internet’s Achilles heel — its anonymity. The Internet, and all the blogs, have lowered the level of discourse to grade school levels, as pointed out above.
Until you adopt a policy similar to the paper’s on letters to the editor — your name and hometown, and yes, we check — I don’t see it getting any better. That would reduce your coments by about 80 percent, and probably for the better.
I like Talk of the Day but I too am sick of idiot knee-jerk posts that are barely on-topic. I wish there were a way to require only thoughtful commentary. Rather than suspending TOTD, would it be useful to try first to moderate it? If moderation were to come as a result of this cesspool, maybe people would accept it? You can moderate for more than just foul language and hateful statements; you could post a policy requiring that people stay on-topic and be thoughtful. That’s a lot of work, though.
Or maybe the local newspaper will never draw the kind of thoughtful, insightful and civil discussion that some of the higher-end blogs do because the pool of participants is just too large. If there’s a rotten apple in every bushel, and bushels and bushels of people are coming, it doesn’t take long for the whole thing to start stinking.
Recently, the only articles that I have read comments about that don’t turn nasty are about recipes. Seriously, there was one in the Guardian the other day about the best way to poach eggs. There were some seriously good tips and some great levity. The British can be quite humorous if you keep them off the subject of politics (NuLabour) and the United States.
Genuine debate is rarely found, you’re right it is all name-calling. If reading these types of comments is as painful to you as it is to me, I would end the Talk of the Day. (I must be a bit of a masochist because I read them anyway!)
It’s a pity that so many cannot be polite, respectful or even thoughtful. There are so many unhappy people, it’s quite astonishing. Best of luck with your decision Mr. Greenbaum.
Did you know that the best way to crack open a raw egg is to tap it on a flat surface. Cracking open an egg on a hard edge shatters the shell into smaller pieces and drives them into the egg.
Yes, we need it. I think you just need more contributors (hint, hint).
Kurt… Just make a mandate that there be no pseudonyms on TOD. If someone uses one, it’s an automatic removal of the post.