Welcome to The Baltimore Banner's comment section. We're excited to hear what you have to say. To keep the conversation lively and respectful, here are a few ground rules to make sure everyone can participate and enjoy:
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Be respectful
We're all here to share ideas and discuss important topics, but let's keep it civil. Personal attacks, insults, vulgarity or other offensive language aren't part of the conversation. Comments that are discriminatory in nature, make sweeping generalizations, or contain racism, homophobia, sexism, or any other form of hate speech have no place on our site. We'll remove anything that crosses the line. Keep it kind and constructive, even when you disagree.
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Keep it accurate
We're committed to conversations based on facts. Comments that spread misinformation, disinformation, or mischaracterize important issues (especially regarding politics or public safety) will be removed.
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Protect your privacy
Keep your personal details, like your address or phone number, to yourself. We want to ensure this remains a safe space for everyone to participate comfortably. We reserve the right to remove any comments we find with personal information about other people or that violates a third party's right to privacy.
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No disruptions
Comments designed to provoke and incite without contributing meaningfully will be removed.
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Stay focused
We love a good debate but try to stick to the article's topic. Comments that drift too far off course or try to steer the discussion toward unrelated issues will be removed to keep the conversation on track.
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Bring your best arguments
Feel free to challenge ideas but do it thoughtfully. Strong opinions are great when they're backed by reason, not by snark or negativity. Respectful debate makes for a richer conversation.
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Respect different viewpoints
We welcome a variety of perspectives and experiences and ask that you approach differences with an open mind and a respectful tone. Listening is as important as speaking.
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Encourage thoughtful dialogue
We encourage thoughtful dialogue. Try asking questions or sharing insights that build on the conversation—let's dig deeper together! Engaging with others can lead to richer discussions.
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Be concise
Short and to the point works best! We appreciate brevity so everyone has a chance to participate. Try to make your point clearly without lengthy, multi-paragraph posts. Those whom we deem to be commenting excessively may be warned or banned.
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Keep it fresh
Repetitive comments can stall the conversation. If you've already shared your thoughts, try engaging with others instead of repeating the same point. Let's keep the discussion dynamic!
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No shouting, please
Let's keep the volume down — no need for ALL CAPS. It's easier to read (and a lot more pleasant) when everyone uses their indoor voices.
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Spread positivity
If someone's comment resonates with you, take a moment to acknowledge it or say thank you. Encouraging each other builds a stronger community and keeps the conversation constructive.
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Don't impersonate someone else
You may not use a false e-mail address, impersonate any person or entity, or otherwise mislead as to the origin of your comments. If we believe you've impersonated someone else, we reserve the right to remove the comment.
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Spam and commercial content will be removed
We do not welcome advertisements disguised as comments. We will remove comments that are clearly commercial, infringe on copyrights or trademarks, solicit funds, or otherwise resemble spam. Comments advertising or linking to businesses or products, or aimed primarily at promoting other websites, may be removed in their entirety. This includes linking repeatedly to your own blog posts. If we see them, we reserve the right to remove them.
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The Baltimore Banner employees will be identified by a staff badge placed after their names
Only Employees who have directly reported or edited a story are permitted to participate in the community discussion. When commenting, those employees are reminded to follow the social media guidelines in our Ethics Policy.
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Give us time
We work hard to read through every comment, but sometimes yours might take a little longer to appear — especially during busy times. Rest assured, we'll get to it soon.
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Help us uphold these standards
If you see a comment that doesn't follow our guidelines, use the 'Flag' option to let us know. We appreciate your help in keeping this space welcoming for all. Moderators will endeavor to review that comment as soon as possible, but we won't necessarily remove every comment that has been flagged.
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Final say
We reserve the right to remove or edit comments to keep our community respectful and engaging. And who knows? We might even feature your thoughtful comment in The Baltimore Banner, on other parts of our website, or in another form, media or technology. For more information, please see our Terms of Service.
By commenting, you're agreeing to these guidelines and helping us keep our community welcoming and insightful. Repeated abuse of our guidelines may lead to commenting privileges being banned. If you think you've been banned by mistake, let us know at commentmods@thebaltimorebanner.com.