I don't know if this story, which is old news now, has been written about here, but I couldn't find anything in a search of DKos going back to May. If it has been covered, please let me know.
Back in May, Fox News disabled its online comments section. I think that DKos writers had everything to do with this, for reasons spelled out below the ochre cloud of justice.
Many of you will remember several excellent diaries here about the grotesque, Klannish comments that were a feature of the comments section on stories at Fox News. For example, back in February when the singer Whitney Houston died, Ministry of Truth wrote about the orgy of racist hate in the comments section at Fox. RockyMtnLib also wrote a diary, citing Charles Johnson's post on the topic. Christian Dem In NC then wrote an action diary follow-up to MoT's diary, asking people to contact Fox directly.
Then in March Vyan wrote about the stormfront-level racism in comments at Fox about George Zimmerman's killing of Trayvon Martin.
And on April 11 Hayate Yagami also wrote a diary about Fox racist comments when Zimmerman was charged with the killing.
I'm sure there were others that I missed.
A blog called "Fox News Comments", apparently dedicated to showcasing the sick wingnut filth-hole that is Fox comments noted on May 22 that Fox had disabled the comments section:
Is Fox experiencing technical difficulties, or do they simply recognize how toxic their users are? My guess is the former, but, it doesn’t really matter much.
There are currently no comments allowed on any news story that I can find. It is clear by now, several months later, that Fox - which certainly has always known how toxic its users are - just didn't want the world at large too see how viciously fascist and racist its audience is.
And while I appreciate the "Fox News Comments" website's dedication to shedding light on Fox readers' racism, I have to disagree with the idea that the reason for Fox's decision to disable comments doesn't matter.
On the contrary, it is clear that Fox was forced to shut its readers up, as progressive blogs including DKos exposed their views which are so completely beyond the pale of decency. I don't remember any corporate or mainstream media outlet covering the issue. The Fox readers of course are still there, as toxic as ever, and Fox still and stokes and panders to their racism, but their readers have one less megaphone for their vileness.
To my mind, along with the "Fox News Comments" website and others, the great diarists here at DKos had everything to do with Fox's change in policy, disinfecting one particularly rancid corner of the online filth that is Fox News.