Delfi had previously partnered with the Google News Initiative (GNI) around the publisher’s use of Google Pinpoint, a research tool that enables investigative journalists to explore and analyze large collections of documents using Google Search and AI technology. Now, wanting to regain control of user comments – and restore the positive commenting environment that helped grow their brand – Delfi leadership approached GNI in the summer of 2022 with an idea.
“Trust in media globally had tremendously decreased,” says Delfi Innovation and Partnerships Team Lead Ieva Ivanauskaitė. “We were looking for ways to best communicate with our readers without being too distant, but also by being reliable.”
With support from GNI, Delfi fast-tracked development of a universal commenting platform that would integrate seamlessly across all their media outlets, providing a space for safe discussions. They partnered with Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) and a local tech agency to make their vision a reality.
Branded “NAPO” (short for naujienų portalas, or news portal), they created a platform emphasizing user engagement and interaction, combining a homepage for trending topics with embedded functionality for article-specific discussions. The project successfully shifted from open commenting to a controlled environment, significantly reducing disinformation and hate speech.
“Google's support acted as a catalyst, accelerating the development of a new vision for the platform and bringing together editorial and technological perspectives within the organization,” Gudauskas says.
NAPO uses AI-driven solutions to enhance moderation. “Our AI solution with VMU was trained upon our comment database – 2.5 million comments – if I remember correctly,” Gudauskas explains. The AI solution detects and calculates the possibility for abusive or inappropriate language and disinformation in terms of percentage, then flags those posts for moderators.
The platform empowers users with a ranking system to ensure discussions adhere to community standards. The algorithm considers user input when ranking comments up or down. All readers may comment – including anonymous users, registered users, and subscribers; however, those commenting anonymously have limited access to commenting functionality (just plain text and a “submit” button). Readers are encouraged to register first, which unlocks rich text-editing capabilities. And paid users get rich-text editing abilities like adding pictures, videos, and other kinds of embedded media.
In addition, Delfi plans to create a commenting space for subject-matter experts to post their opinions and guide discussions, and “address the trend of users seeking expert advice on social media,” Gudauskas says.
