Austria’s leading daily tabloid, Kronen Zeitung, has detailed its community guidelines, emphasizing respectful discourse and outlining consequences for violations of its online “Netiquette.” The guidelines, published on krone.at, aim to maintain a high quality of discussion surrounding news content and are intended to foster a positive online environment.
According to a statement released by krone.at, story comments are considered a “valuable component” of their online community. The platform stresses the importance of accommodating a wide range of viewpoints through respectful and friendly communication between users. Tolerance and acceptance of diverse ethnicities, religions, genders, and sexual orientations are explicitly encouraged.
The guidelines too encourage critical opinions, but insist that any criticism be presented in a “factual and constructive” manner. Kronen Zeitung’s Netiquette and Community Guidelines are not legally binding but are designed to enable an exchange of opinions even as ensuring the quality of discussions. The document references Article 13 of the Austrian Basic Law, which guarantees freedom of expression within legal limits.
krone.at reserves the right to delete contributions that violate applicable law, morality, or the Netiquette, and to pursue legal action against users responsible for such content. The platform also states it may use user data for legal purposes and report criminal content to authorities. User contributions do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the operator/editor or Krone Multimedia (KMM).
Community managers are available as a direct link between readers and the editorial team, reachable via email at forum@krone.at. A frequently asked questions (FAQ) section is available to assist users with login issues, forum navigation, and general community inquiries. The platform employs AI-supported moderation and may ban users for non-compliance with the guidelines.
The guidelines outline behaviors that are not welcome within the krone.at community, including provocation, “trolling,” the deliberate spread of false information (“Fake News”), and legally prohibited actions.
