Confession time: I am addicted to online newspaper article comments. Often I’ll read the comments before reading the actual article. True story.

Many online newspapers now accept article comments in some form – something that was unheard of even a few years ago. While giving readers the opportunity to comment on articles can help to boost newspaper traffic, what was once touted as a great way to give readers a voice has quickly shown its potential to devolve into a murky place where anyone with an Internet connection can spout ad hominem attacks, deliver tirades seemingly devoid of critical thought and engage in downright intellectually dishonest discourse. Power to the people.

Admittedly, most comment threads are forums where people of different opinions can participate in lively, yet civil debates on the issues of the day. If you read the same Canadian and U.S. newspapers I do however (read: the major dailies) all it takes is one or two particularly nasty posts for a thread to go sour.

So where does PR fit into all of this? Are comment threads simply new arenas for PR to reach influencers? It would be a bit naïve to suggest that this isn’t already happening, but it raises key issues about the ability of public relations to deliver in the new online world. Article comments are potentially one more outlet where PR pros will need to monitor mentions and reputations.

More importantly, these forums are further evidence that one-way media is dead and the power of news editors to shape the agenda is diminishing.

What do you think?