First there was the letter to the editor. Then came the online comment.
The latter is great source of reader interaction, both with the newspaper and other readers. It can be a vibrant exchange of ideas on issues raised through our stories.
It is immensely popular with many readers.
This recent story about the B.C. legistlature raising the rainbow flag accumulated 139 comments before the thread was closed. Every day, our stories garner hundreds of reader comments.
But it's not the only digital game in town. One of the lesser-known pillars in our four-pillar news delivery system is the E-edition (along with print, web and mobile).
Many readers subscribe to the E-edition (a digital replica of the print edition) because they prefer it to print. After all, the experience is enhanced by the ability to share, have it read aloud, zoom in, translate . . . and comment directly on stories.
It's not as popular as the web version, but some stories can generate good discussion among subscribers.
You can quickly spot stories witih comments attached by the green box with a number inside, indicating the number of comments.
Clicking on that box will transport you to a brand-new world of reader commentary. It may be worth checking out.
An interesting quirk of the E-edition is that commenting is available on all stories by default.
One final thing to not forget is that stories shared on our Facebook page also often generate vibrant discussion.
There are free trials available for the E-edition, or it's included with your print subscription.
