The editorial ‘Guidelines on use of social media’ was undoubtedly timely and succinct. We are indeed living in a time and age when most people check their emails and social media pages first thing in the morning and repeatedly throughout the day.

The editorial’s call for a policy on the use of social media in the public sector is both logical and commonsensical.

These same guidelines and standards should however also be used by the media themselves when moderating the online comments left by all and sundry on their e-papers and other online sites.

There is not enough control on incorrect comments or unfounded accusations and criticism. One repeatedly reads comments online left by people whose only aim seems to be to tarnish the reputation of entities or individuals.

Some persons go so far as to give incorrect and improper information to push their own agendas or to increase their following online.

A possible solution to this could be that the moderators of the online site seek the verification or otherwise by the entity or person concerned, prior to publishing comments online.

Certain comments are repetitive or irrelevant to the main thread of the conversation, or otherwise hinder the discussion of personal experiences and opinions in a proper and respectful environment.

These concerns are not solely our own but have also been aired by other entities, both governmental and non-governmental. Guidelines on the use of social media are a prerequisite for any entity and should be adopted and adhered to by everyone, including the media, to ensure propriety and to be of a genuine service to society.