A growing number of news sites are eliminating comments entirely because of the resources required to monitor and remove abusive or otherwise inappropriate comments left on stories. We, however, see value in allowing readers and viewers to thoughtfully discuss the news of the day.

So that we can continue to support commenting on our sites, we are adding an additional layer of verification.

WRAL.com will require users to log in with a valid Facebook account to comment on a WRAL.com or WRALSportsFan.com story. Once logged in, a visitor can add comments to any story. The name and photo associated with the visitor's Facebook account will be shown with each comment. The comments you leave on WRAL.com and WRALSportsFan.com will not be posted to your Facebook page.

To make a comment, click on the Comment icon as usual. You will be prompted to sign in with your existing WRAL.com account, if you are not already signed in. You will then be guided to "Connect" your WRAL.com account with your Facebook account. Simply click the blue "Connect" link and use your Facebook credentials to log in. When done, there will be a "Click here" link to complete the process. From that point forward, you will be able to comment on any WRAL.com or WRALSportsFan.com story or blogpost. You will not need to log in again on subsequent visits, unless you log out.

We realize that this requirement will reduce the number of comments on our site, as not everyone has or wants a Facebook account. We also know some people want to leave comments anonymously. That said, we would prefer to have fewer comments in exchange for dialogue that is more relevant, thoughtful and courteous.

Commenting on sports forums, such as the team conversations on WRALSportsFan.com, will not require a Facebook account. Users can flag abusive comments in the forums for review.