The Los Angeles Times recently tried a noble experiment by introducing a wikitorial asking readers to rewrite an editorial on the Iraq war. The paper received over 1000 participants but closed it down when abuse and pornography was posted.
Deputy Editorial Page Editor Michael Newman told Editor and Publisher that the paper was considering reintroducing the experiment soon. “Readers took things in an unforeseeable way,” he said. “They put up different editorials, they fine-tuned things, and had some high-minded debates.”
The future of online editorials is coming. Collaborate with your readers and media companies will find a readership more willing to trust the outcomes.