"...many publications have stopped their "comments" sections..."

One of them is the oldest established newspaper in the Canadian west, the Victoria Times Colonist.  Not long ago, had lunch with TC manager who made that decision. We talked about it.  I still think the decision was regrettable (I think he does, too) ...but certainly understand his reasons for it.

Freedom of the press comes at many costs, and, in the end, the TC finally decided it was simply a " bad investment" to pay people to sit there and screen comments.  Another reason: the newspaper STILL took criticism because they arbitrarily allowed what some  more easily offended readers thought was an "abusive comment."  It was an expensive no-win game.

About finances, I asked how's the paper was doing.  Great, he replied (better, he thought, than the Vancouver Sun).  Why? I asked.  "Well managed," he replied...no joke intended.  Well, if decisions like the one on comments help keeps the paper solvent...