If you post moderate while you are still technically publishing it you have a defence that you may not have seen it. If you are notified of a bad comment and you are seen to be doing something about it like taking it down then you are covered, to a point.

Even Northcliffe in their T&Cs say in para 4 Please note that we do not check, monitor, moderate or even see all the comments and other material submitted to us.

Simon & Sally have had their fair share of issues with the blog but are nothing but professional in the way they manage it. Is it a case of the council using the big sledgehammer to crack the peanut? A phone call or a quiet word would probably sufficed..

IoW council are wrong to demand that VB pre-moderate and threaten to remove their accreditation. It’s as if they’re trying to bully VB to the point that they give up. Having spoken plenty of times to both Simon and Sally I’m sure their passion won’t allow that.

Part of me would love to see this tested. If IoW really believe they’re being defamed they should take VB to court. One judge has already said “it would be contrary to the public interest for institutions of central or local government to have any right at common law to maintain an action for damages for defamation.”