Thanks to the internet, fighting trolls is no longer reserved for mythical legends. My best tip is to simply ignore them. They’re after attention, and any you give them (positive or negative) feeds them. It can be tough, since some trolls can be especially aggressive at first. However, they’ll almost always go away if you ignore them long enough. The good news is they also get bored easily, so their short attention span helps you get over this hurdle quickly.
ShareAmerica just asked me and other online experts about the best strategies, and my advice to ignore was echoed by many. However, sometimes a different approach may be in order. For example, you may need to disengage the comments section for awhile, or make commenting a little more involved. There are some journalists who actively engage trolls, but only do this if it’s with a clear head and with a clear purpose.
Make sure your terms of use section is updated and addresses trolls, and review it consistently. For the most part, trolls will move on to greener pastures if you use one or more of these approaches.
