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Telegraph shuts reader comments on Thatcher stories following abuse Telegraph shuts reader comments on Thatcher stories following abuse
(about 2 hours later)
The Telegraph was forced to shut its reader comments facility on all stories about Margaret Thatcher after being flooded with abuse about the former prime minister when she died on Monday. The Telegraph shut its reader comments facility on all stories about Margaret Thatcher because of abuse about the former prime minister when she died on Monday.
Tony Gallagher, the editor of the Telegraph, said the newspaper's email address for reader tributes was also "filled with abuse" and it decided to close the comments down.Tony Gallagher, the editor of the Telegraph, said the newspaper's email address for reader tributes was also "filled with abuse" and it decided to close the comments down.
The paper, which traditionally supports the Tory party and was edited by the former Conservative cabinet minister Bill Deedes during seven of the eleven and a half years of Thatcher's reign, was singled out for abuse on Monday by Thatcher critics. The paper, which traditionally supports the Tory party and was edited by the former Conservative cabinet minister Bill Deedes during seven years of Thatcher's reign, feared an avalanche of "bile" would "spew" from its pages and decided to keep comments closed, according to insiders.
"We have closed comments on every #Thatcher story today - even our address to email tributes is filled with abuse," Gallagher tweeted. "Many of the people blocked from comments on our #ThatcherCoverage appear to have clogged up my timeline with their foul abuse." "We have closed comments on every #Thatcher story today – even our address to email tributes is filled with abuse," Gallagher tweeted. "Many of the people blocked from comments on our #ThatcherCoverage appear to have clogged up my timeline with their foul abuse."
In an exchange with the Guardian's Spanish football correspondent Sid Lowe Gallagher complained "comments too often a horror show". In an exchange with the Guardian's Spanish football correspondent Sid Lowe, Gallagher complained "comments too often a horror show".
Insiders on the paper say the comments were particularly abusive and personal towards Thatcher. Insiders on the paper say the comments into the email account were particularly abusive and personal towards Thatcher.
"We don't tolerate abusive letters in print, why should we tolerate it online," the insider said. "It's not about stifling debate or a question of free speech, it's about the Telegraph. We don't want people spewing bile on line.""We don't tolerate abusive letters in print, why should we tolerate it online," the insider said. "It's not about stifling debate or a question of free speech, it's about the Telegraph. We don't want people spewing bile on line."
A divisive figure like Thatcher was always bound to cause abuse, they added, but it wasn't something the editor felt was fitting for the paper.A divisive figure like Thatcher was always bound to cause abuse, they added, but it wasn't something the editor felt was fitting for the paper.
Comments on Thatcher stories remain closed but the paper continued to be criticised on Twitter. Comments on Thatcher stories remain closed but the paper's decision to refuse negative reader comment continued to be criticised on Twitter.
One user accused Gallagher of doing it because "you're an ideologue & not interested in the truth or 'freedom of speech' at all".One user accused Gallagher of doing it because "you're an ideologue & not interested in the truth or 'freedom of speech' at all".
Another user suggested that there was a connection between the decision to close comments and the link with the Ritz where Thatcher died as it is owned by the Telegraph proprietors, Frederick and David Barclay. "The Telegraph: Beacon of free speech. Did Barclays brothers tell you to do it? She was their guest at the Ritz," tweeted a person going by the name of Joe Public.Another user suggested that there was a connection between the decision to close comments and the link with the Ritz where Thatcher died as it is owned by the Telegraph proprietors, Frederick and David Barclay. "The Telegraph: Beacon of free speech. Did Barclays brothers tell you to do it? She was their guest at the Ritz," tweeted a person going by the name of Joe Public.
The Telegraph never opens comments on obituaries but regularly has comments open on major breaking news.
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