There’s an unspoken rule in internet culture that you shouldn’t read the comments.

Comment sections are known for being cesspools where typically mild-mannered people turn to name-calling and conspiracy theories, hidden behind the safety of their computer screen. But that’s not always the case.

That’s why at This Is Nashville, we’re digging in. Instead of turning off our mentions and ignoring what people say, we’re welcoming online conversation.

Each Thursday, tune in for a special segment we’re calling @ Us, where I will join our host Khalil Ekulona to share a round up of all the social media buzz that week. Whether it’s a comment from our This Is Nashville Facebook group, or an email to [email protected] from a new listener, we’ll share the comments and feedback with you, and talk about what we plan to do with it.

For our first installment, we shared an email we got from a listener questioning some of the data shared by our guest, Cherokee historian Albert Bender, about how large the Native population was in what he calls “ancient Nashville.”

Because of this email, we are researching for a full episode on our city and region’s indigenous origins. You can expect that in the coming weeks.

We’re doing this because news doesn’t occur in a vacuum. The online discussion around current events is just as valid and important as in-person debates. We want to better understand how people are reacting to the news and what we’re doing every day with This Is Nashville.

We also want to let you in on what we do and how we do it.

In our first installment, we shared a clip from a pilot episode, where we first met local high school senior Jehlin Hayes. We interviewed him in a conversation about violence and violence prevention. We wouldn’t ask him about his reflections on this subject matter without asking him about his passions and goals. Hip-hop is a passion for Hayes. Listen back to hear an excerpt of his song Moon.

Our goal is to keep the communication lines open and invite listeners in.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Just don’t forget to @ us!

Anna Gallegos-Cannon is the digital lead for This Is Nashville. You can follow her on Twitter.