Like the Journal Star, the Dubuque, Iowa, newspaper also has problems with racists leaving comments on their Website:
Simmering racial tensions boiled over on the
Telegraph Herald Web site Sunday morning after the stabbing death of Nicholas Blackburn, a white man, allegedly at the hands of Kenyatta Harlston Sr., a black man.A photo of a lynched black man was posted on the Web site in the comments section where online readers usually share their thoughts about specific articles.
And guess what folks? When you leave comments on a public forum, there’s NO guarantee of anonymity.
Dubuque Police are investigating the matter. The Telegraph Herald was served a subpoena Monday to provide data about the person who posted the content.
A comment left on a public forum is not the same as an anonymous source. So I expect the newspaper to provide the data. My thinking is that unless there is a specific threat made to a specific threat, no one is going to be prosecuted.
The editors made this point when some complained the newspaper was practicing censorship when they pulled the comments and photos. The newspaper owns its Website. They have the right control the content. My thought it that when you open your site to reader comments, you have an moral obligation to allow commenters to express themselves. Racism and a call for violence against members of a race goes beyond that obligation.
The important thing is that newspapers don’t let incidents like this dissuade them from allowing readers to comment. It seems like a hufe problem, but it’s one that’s solved by “report abuse” buttons and basic filtering software. Sure, some adult supervision is required, but the benefits created by including readers in the discussion outweigh the drawbacks of having to delete a few knuckleheads.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
I’ve had some nazi boneheads leave comments on my site; I’ve edited some that have told outright lies (e. g., “You believe X, Y, and Z” when in fact I don’t, or when they’ve posted personal information).
Mostly I just let them hang themselves by expressing their ignorance and stupidity in public.
That is what some of the anti-racist sites do as well (e. g., niksnest.blogspot.com )
excellent Billie Holiday reference.