St. Pölten – Facebook under the microscope: “Favorite enemy is Corona”

Whether looking for a doctor, construction sites or new openings – in the Facebook group “What’s going on in St. Pölten” around 14,000 people discuss local issues. Ricardo Zanot has been moderating the talks for almost two years. Not an easy undertaking.

Despite the municipal council elections, it is currently quiet at the political level, reports Zanot. “The new favorite enemy is Corona.” The advertising designer and caterer runs the “Vitalia” company full-time. On the side, he spends at least two hours a day approving contributions, checking discussions and deleting comments. He now knows which topics he needs to plan more time for. “I’m a guy who has my cell phone with me 24 hours a day and never goes silent. I’m relatively stress-resistant, ”he says.

“Dictator or fascist – I was everything.” Ricardo Zanot, administrator of the Facebook group “What’s going on in St. Pölten”

Again and again there are false reports, malicious comments or verbal battles in the group. In contrast, he follows a clear line: he tries to intervene quickly, to remain objective as possible and to inform calmly. “Allowing people to discuss things doesn’t work on the Internet. It’s an endless loop, ”he explains.

Since the pandemic, however, he has been insulted and harassed more and more often. “Dictator or fascist – I’ve been everything,” he reports, referring to other moderators who feel the same way. Another problem is that not only his name, but also his place of work is public. In the meantime, he is therefore archiving some conversation histories.

Nevertheless, he does not want to change his course. He hopes that he will have more stamina and that there will be peace at some point. He interprets a success as the fact that not every tricky topic is degenerating anymore. “I see that the upbringing is bearing fruit,” he smiles. A survey recently gave him support. The majority of the members were satisfied with his moderation.

Often his group also becomes a suggestion box when problems arise. For this reason, Zanot has recently become involved in the “Mein St. Pölten” association. It should form an interface between the mayor and the population. “We want to make small requests or big ideas, praise or criticism heard without red tape,” he explains. Instead of a website, he suggested a Facebook group again: “There you feel like you’re in the living room and can communicate more openly.”

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