Commenting on the News: How the Degree of Anonymity Affects Flaming Online

The internet has become the number two for news (Pew Research Center, 2011). News organizations which previously did not allow commenting on the news now routinely permit anonymous commenting on stories on their online news websites. This practice has resulted in widespread reports of personal attacks known as flaming (Hlavach & Freivogel, (2011). This study examines the degree to which the anonymity of users affects their tendency to engage in flaming in online news forums through a qualitative analysis of four different types of news stories on four different news websites, two allowing anonymous comments and two requiring use of real names. The study also examines the effect of story topic on flaming behavior, and the degree to which lack of anonymity affects willingness to participate in the discussion. The study found that flaming is significantly more common in anonymous commenting scenarios, and requiring real names does not suppress participation rates. This study adds new insights into the ongoing study of flaming in CMC, and provides news editors with valuable guidance as they develop commenting policies to maximize constructive civic dialogue that will result in a better-informed public.