The Blurred Lines Between Social Media and Censorship

[Commentary] Social media is a harsh task master. It keeps score, detailing the number of likes, follows, pins and, of course, comments. It holds the promise of enhancing and expanding citizen engagement. But social media also has a darker underbelly where risk-averse public officials fear to tread. Disagreeable comments are seen as disruptive in their well-ordered world and can induce a panicked response. The conventional wisdom is to take negative comments in stride and be patient. That can prove to be a tall order in practice.