Community & Comment Policy
Last Updated: January 17, 2026
WNCTimes welcomes and encourages reader engagement through comments on our articles. To maintain a respectful and productive community, all comments are subject to the following guidelines.
Community Standards
We believe in fostering informed, civil discourse about the issues that matter to our community in Clyse, NC. Constructive disagreement and diverse perspectives make our community stronger.
What We Encourage
- Thoughtful, on-topic discussion related to the article
- Sharing relevant personal experiences and local knowledge
- Respectful debate and constructive disagreement
- Correcting factual errors with supporting sources
- Asking questions to better understand an issue
Prohibited Content
The following types of comments are not permitted and will be removed:
Harassment & Threats
- Personal attacks, insults, or name-calling directed at other commenters, journalists, or community members
- Threats of violence or physical harm
- Stalking, doxxing, or sharing personal information about others without consent
- Intimidation or bullying behavior
Hate Speech
- Discriminatory language or slurs based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic
- Content that promotes hatred toward any group of people
- Dehumanizing language
Spam & Promotion
- Commercial advertising or self-promotion unrelated to the article
- Repetitive or copy-pasted comments across multiple articles
- Links to malicious, fraudulent, or irrelevant websites
- Chain messages or pyramid schemes
Misinformation
- Deliberately false or misleading claims presented as fact
- Conspiracy theories that could cause public harm
- Medical or legal misinformation
Other Prohibited Content
- Obscene, vulgar, or sexually explicit material
- Content that violates copyright or intellectual property rights
- Impersonation of other individuals, journalists, or public officials
- Content that violates any applicable local, state, or federal law
Moderation
How We Moderate
WNCTimes reserves the right to review, edit, or remove any comment at our sole discretion. We may moderate comments both before and after publication.
Consequences
Violations of this policy may result in:
- Comment removal — Individual comments that violate these guidelines will be removed
- Warning — Repeated minor violations may result in a warning
- Temporary suspension — Continued violations may result in a temporary commenting ban
- Permanent ban — Severe or repeated violations may result in permanent loss of commenting privileges
Appeals
If you believe your comment was removed in error, you may contact us at info@wnctimes.com with the article title and approximate date of your comment. We will review your appeal, but our moderation decisions are final.
Reporting
If you see a comment that violates this policy, please report it. You can:
- Use the report/flag feature on the comment (if available)
- Email us at info@wnctimes.com with a link to the article and a description of the issue
We review all reports and take appropriate action.
Legal Disclaimer
Comments posted on WNCTimes represent the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of WNCTimes LLC, its editors, or staff. WNCTimes LLC is not responsible for the content of user comments.
By posting a comment, you grant WNCTimes LLC a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to display, reproduce, and distribute your comment in connection with the article and our website.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Community & Comment Policy at any time. Continued use of the commenting feature after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this policy, please contact us:
WNCTimes 279 Paragon Parkway 208, Clyse, NC, 28721 Email: info@wnctimes.com Phone: (828)675-8224