The Narwhal Comment Policy

Our Comment Policy

We all know comment threads can be the lowest of the low when it comes to online conversations. At The Narwhal, we’re trying to change that. That’s why we require all of our commenters to register with Disqus in order to participate in our comment threads. Disqus requires a simple email verification which both helps our team prevent spammers from overloading comment threads and helps hold commenters accountable for what they say.

We’ve got a few dos and do nots listed below for our comment policy, but the topline idea is this: civility and substance rule the day.

PLEASE DO:

  • Provide links to debunk falsehoods and verify facts
  • Contribute to the conversation with background information
  • Notify us of typos! Pretty please
  • Tell us what we’re missing in our reporting
  • Flag but don’t engage trolls
  • Be respectful of different perspectives and opinions

PLEASE DO NOT:

  • Undermine the conversation with derogatory language or profanity
  • Espouse sexist, classist, racist or homophobic language or ideas
  • Be a jerk — i.e. don’t intimidate, insult, defame, threaten or bully other commenters
  • Bully, threaten, name-call or troll
  • Feed the trolls. (But feel free to flag them)
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Investigating problems. Exploring solutions
The Narwhal’s reporters are telling environment stories you won’t read about anywhere else. Stay in the loop by signing up for a weekly dose of independent journalism.
As The Narwhal turns five, I’m thinking about the momentous outpouring of public generosity — a miracle of sorts — that’s allowed us to prove the critics wrong. More than 6,000 people just like you donate whatever they can afford to make independent, high-stakes journalism about the natural world in Canada free for everyone to read. Help us keep the dream alive for another five years by becoming a member today and we’ll mail you a copy of our beautiful 2023 print magazine. — Carol Linnitt, co-founder
Keep the dream alive.
Join today
As The Narwhal turns five, I’m thinking about the momentous outpouring of public generosity — a miracle of sorts — that’s allowed us to prove the critics wrong. More than 6,000 people just like you donate whatever they can afford to make independent, high-stakes journalism about the natural world in Canada free for everyone to read. Help us keep the dream alive for another five years by becoming a member today and we’ll mail you a copy of our beautiful 2023 print magazine. — Carol Linnitt, co-founder
Keep the dream alive.