What are news outlets doing to ensure civil discourse on their sites? What happens when inappropriate content is posted on comment sites? What are the legal ramifications for news outlets and for the commenters? Which sites have the best and worst commenters?

These are among the questions a group of journalists and a media lawyer will examine tonight at a discussion sponsored by the Minnesota News Council and the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists.

The discussion will be moderated by MinnPost’s media reporter, David Brauer, and the panelists are Mike Knaak, assistant managing editor at the St. Cloud Times; Terry Sauer, assistant managing editor/digital at the Star Tribune; and Leita Walker, a lawyer at Faegre & Benson

The event, 7-9 p.m. Tuesday at the University of St. Thomas’ 3M Auditorium in Owens Science Hall in St. Paul, is free and open to the public.