Beef Central Comment Policy

We welcome comments on our articles but also encourage readers to familiarise themselves with our guidelines before taking the time to submit a post.

We reserve the right not to publish or to remove without notification on our website or social media pages any comments which we feel are in breach of these guidelines.

Readers should not assume that comments which do not appear are being selectively overlooked based on the editors’ own opinions. It simply means the submitted comment does not meet one or more of the criteria outlined below.

• Evidence-based claims: It important that commentators provide clear evidence to verify facts they claim to be true in comments. Unsubstantiated ‘beliefs’ are not grounds for comments on Beef Central. Submissions containing misinformation, hearsay or claimed but unsupported facts which are clearly wrong or contestable will not be published. If a reader expresses an opinion agreeing or disagreeing with something, we encourage them to explain why – reasoning is as important as the opinion. Back up opinions with evidence and fact.
• Stick to the topic: Comments must align closely with the core topic raised in the article they are attached to.

• Real names: We aim to maintain a high standard of debate and believe that transparency is central to achieving this. Therefore we won’t accept comments on our website from people who do not provide their first name and surname. We accept that this may discourage some readers who prefer anonymity from posting comments, but we believe the use of real names is fundamental to achieving and maintaining a high and respectful level of debate in the forums on which we accept reader comments.

• Play the ball, not the person: We encourage committed, passionate debate, but insults or insinuations are not part of this. We won’t accept comments that contain personal remarks about the author of an article, about individuals mentioned in articles, or about others providing comment.

• Comment forum is for everyone, not dominant individuals: Our websites or social media pages do not exist as platforms for individuals to seek to dominate debate or intimidate others with continual comments or to push specific agendas. We reserve the right to limit the number of comments published by any single commentor at any time or to ban from future use people who continually violate this policy.

• No tennis matches: Similarly, we will not allow ‘tennis matches’ between readers providing comment on articles. At most, a reader whose initial comment attracts a counter-comment may be given right of reply, but that is at the editor’s discretion. For readers with contrary views who want to slug-it-out, we suggest using social media.

• Play nicely: Bad language, derogatory remarks, name-calling, streams of invective, threatening, insulting or harassing comments or which could be perceived as such will not be posted.

• Balanced debate: We aim to provide a forum for balanced debate on issues relevant to the Australian beef cattle industry. Where new posts repeat views expressed in previous comments on the same thread we reserve the right not to publish those comments. We encourage a range of perspectives, not a forum to be hijacked by one side of an argument or people driving a specific agenda to make multiple comments.

• No promotion/press releases: Comments will not be accepted which aim to promote particular products, services, organisations or individuals, nor will comments that are effectively a press release for an individual or organisation.

• Please don’t ‘Shout’: Posting in block capitals will not be accepted.

• Keep it brief: We reserve the right to edit for brevity or not to publish comments if they exceed 200 words.

• Legal issues: Any content which we deem potentially defamatory, prejudicial to an ongoing court case, or of a nature that could otherwise result in legal action, will be rejected or deleted.

Moderating comments is a time-consuming process and we cannot explain in every instance why a comment may not have been accepted, so we encourage readers to familiarise themselves with this policy before posting.

Please note that Beef Central cannot endorse or stand by the accuracy, truthfulness or reliability of any material posted by users in comments to its articles.

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