ABSTRACT
Practitioners of journalism in the internet age have had to contend with an ascendant online force: digital incivility. Although cybercommunication has been widely available to the public since April 1995, the tone of public discourse in many corners of the web has not matured. Unmoderated public comment spaces continue to resemble the middle school antagonists from The Lord of the Flies—feral, cruel and juvenile. Anyone connected to the internet can share their ideas, opinions instantly to a potentially worldwide audience, regardless of quality or propriety. ALL-CAPS blanket statements and self-righteous sarcasm make regular appearances in comment sections on news items about everything from politics and crime to sports and religion. A study has demonstrated that certain "sources" are associated with higher levels of incivility. Almost one-third of comments in response to articles containing a quote from President Obama were deemed uncivil, in comparison to 21.4" to comments to articles that did not contain one.
