ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses concerns about hostility in online discussions of the news. It begins by reviewing the literature on civility and hostility in user comments and offering conceptual definitions. The chapter aims to develop operational definitions through a process of triangulation. By integrating analytical precedents, established word dictionaries, and a qualitative contextual analysis, the chapter develops measures of civility and hostility. The chapter provides the civility index and hostility index to analyze user comments posted to YouTube news videos. It presents the conceptual/operational synthesis and suggests that a number of future research opportunities for understanding civility and hostility in user comments. Conceptualizations of hostility appear under the guise of various terms— flaming, incivility, and impoliteness— with the latter two clearly suggesting hostility as the counterpart to civility. Normative definitions situate civility in the context of generally held standards for a civil discourse.
