The Illawarra Mercury knows how important it is for our subscribers to have a conversation about the news in a safe environment away from the trolls.
What our readers have to say matters to our journalism, and often, makes our reporting better.
We welcome readers commenting on our stories, sharing their opinions on issues and discussing different viewpoints.
We have listened to your feedback about our website's comment platform and have made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say.
Readers will now need only one log-in to access news and comments on the Mercury website.
This will allow you to share your view on stories we have opened for comments. It also lets you reply to others who have commented and follow the conversations that interest you.
How do I comment:
You must be signed in to the Mercury as a registered user. Subscribers can use the same log-in they use to access their website subscription.
Non-subscribers must register to gain access to their five free articles per month and can leave a comment on articles where comments have been enabled.
Things you should know:
- Our journalists and editors will also take part in the conversation from time to time.
- Comments are only open on stories that have been selected by our editorial team.
- We may use approved comments elsewhere on our website or in our print editions.
- We want commenting to continue to be a safe space for our loyal readers to engage with each other and our journalists.
- Comments are intended to be civil, friendly conversations. Please treat other participants with respect and in a way that you would want to be treated. You are responsible for what you say.
- Stay on topic. If you see an objectionable post, please report it to us using the "Flag" option.
- Please note that we reserve the right at all times to remove any information or material that is considered by us to be unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable.
- Personal attacks, especially on other participants, are not permitted. We reserve the right to permanently block any user who violates these terms and conditions.
- Additionally, comments that are long, have multiple paragraph breaks, include code, or include hyperlinks may not be posted.
You can read our moderation policy here.
