Comments

1. What kind of comments are The New York Times interested in?

 We are interested in articulate, well-informed remarks that are relevant to the article. We welcome your advice, criticism, and unique insights into the issues of the day.

To be approved for publication, your comments should be civil and reflect The New York Times’s standards for taste present on NYTimes.com and in The New York Times newspaper. A few things we won't tolerate: name-calling, personal attacks, obscenity, vulgarity, profanity (including expletives and letters followed by dashes), commercial promotion, impersonations, incoherence, and SHOUTING.

We only accept comments written in English; foreign language comments will be rejected.

 

2. What are NYT Picks?

NYT Picks are a selection of comments that represent a range of views and are judged the most interesting or thoughtful. In some cases, NYT Picks may be selected to highlight comments from a particular region, or readers with first-hand knowledge of an issue.

 

3. How do I leave a comment?

The first time you write a comment, you will be asked to complete a quick registration process that should take approximately one minute.

You will be asked for a display name and your location. Both of these items will be displayed publicly on NYTimes.com.

If you would like to receive a notification after you submit your comment, please be sure that the email notification checkbox underneath the comment submission form is selected for each of your submissions.

 

4. Why do I have to register?

 The registration process serves to facilitate the development of our online community, and ensures that members take responsibility for their writings. Registration ensures that all users leaving a comment are legitimate users (not bots) and confirms that you accept our terms and conditions. 

 

5. Should I use my real name and location when making a comment?

 Using your real name is not required. We understand that many readers do not wish to be publicly identified, and we support your desire to protect your privacy. However, your location will help our journalists make sure that your comments are properly promoted in articles that concern your region. We recommend against posting your full email address, for security reasons.

A reminder: Once your comment is published, it can be found in search results on websites like Google and Yahoo. A New York Times staffer may occasionally use the email address you have listed in your Account for a follow-up interview. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

 

6. Can I use a different display name for some comments?

 You are free to change your display name. However, these changes may apply to your previous comments.

 

7. Why didn't I get my confirmation email?

The confirmation email is sent automatically, but it may take a little while before it arrives in your inbox. 

If you have not received your confirmation after 24 hours, we recommend that you check the email address you registered with as well as checking your spam or junk folders to ensure the automated email was not sent there. 

If you think you are having problems receiving emails from NYTimes.com, please contact Customer Care.

 

8. When and where will my comment be published?

Since comments are moderated, they do not appear on the site until they have been approved. Comments are typically posted faster during business hours. Moderation can be less frequent in the evening and on weekends.  

The New York Times reserves the right to display comments in a variety of ways, including within the text of articles or in advertisements.

 

9. Does The New York Times edit my comments?

 No. Comments are either approved or rejected. We reserve the right to edit a comment that is quoted or excerpted on NYTimes.com or on our affiliate blogs. In those cases, we may fix spelling, grammar or punctuation.

 

10. Why does The New York Times moderate readers' comments?

 The goal of The New York Times is to provide substantive commentary for a general readership. By screening submissions, we seek to create a space where readers can exchange intelligent and informed commentary that enhances the quality of our news and information.

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Our Community Desk makes these decisions as carefully and consistently as possible. Because of the volume of reader comments, individual moderation decisions cannot be reviewed with readers and cannot alter a comment once it is posted. Read The Times Sharply Increases Articles Open for Comments, Using Google’s Technology for more insight into how The New York Times moderates comments.

 

11. Why are comments closed on an article?

The vast majority of comments are reviewed by a human moderator. Because of this, the number of comments that we are capable of moderating each day is limited. Typically, comment threads are open for 24 hours. After that point, commenting is closed and our moderators are moved to newer articles. While this means that some of these discussions do not have the chance to further evolve, it ensures that we're able to host a civil comments section on a wide range of articles.

 

12. I found an inappropriate comment. What do I do?

 Click Flag at the bottom right of a comment, select the reasons you believe it should be removed, and submit the report. 

If a comment is inappropriate, contains deliberate misinformation, or you suspect that a comment has been posted by a political propaganda network, please flag that comment for spam.

While flagged comments are not automatically removed from the site, each flagged comment will be further reviewed by the Community Desk.

 

13. What about criticism of The Times?

 The New York Times welcomes strong opinions and criticism of our work, and does not hesitate to approve critical comments. However, personal attacks against our staff will not be permitted, and any criticism should relate to the article in question. 

Generally, The New York Times will not allow comments to become bogged down with discussions of our moderation policies, and the Community Desk will moderate accordingly.

 

14. Should I post new information about a breaking news story? What if I see an error in an article? What is the best way to suggest a correction?

We appreciate it when readers and people quoted in articles point out errors of fact or emphasis and will investigate all assertions. To send a message about news coverage, email [email protected] or call toll-free at 800-NYTIMES (800-698-4637). Comments on editorials may be emailed to [email protected] or faxed to 212-556-3622.  

To avoid distracting other readers, comments that suggest a correction will not be published. Instead, corrections will be made in a blog post or at the bottom of an article, and also can be found on the main Corrections page.

If you have additional questions regarding comments on NYTimes.com, please contact Customer Care.