They Had That Interview Wired (and Other PR Blog Jots)
Whoops! Microsoft's PR Document Sent to Reporter
Pro PR
In a story making the rounds on PR blogs today, a media prep document from Waggener Edstrom meant to brief a Microsoft executive for an interview with Wired magazine was accidentally sent to the reporter himself. Joseph Thornley calls the move the “Snafu of the week,” and notes that many seem to be reacting negatively to the thoroughness of the document, which listed extensive information on the reporter. Thornley and I agree that such a document actually shows care and attention to detail on the part of Waggener Edstrom, and that an interview shouldn’t just be message points, but a conversation. How else to have a conversation than to learn a little more about the person with whom you’re having it? “Bad media relations comes from people who simply spout their message repeatedly and endlessly without regard for the interests or perspective of the journalist they are talking to. We should communicate to be understood, not simply to be heard. And we can be better understood if we communicate in terms that make sense and are of interest to the reporter writing the story.”
5 Steps to Effective Corporate Blogging
PR Communications
John Cass offers a short and sweet primer for developing a corporate blogging effort, with a brief but precise five point plan. Cass underlines the importance of creating a dialogue as the essential element of any corporate blog, and that listing off your arguments without interacting with your audience will doom your blog to failure. “Once you decide to start blogging, its critical to understand that blogging is a conversation, or a dialogue, attempting to just pitch your own ideas will probably mean you will fail to talk with people, and worse still produce some negative consequences in terms of public criticism of your company’s efforts.”
Crisisblogger
Life magazine has officially been put out of business, in what Gerald Baron is calling the “latest victim” of the declining state of print journalism. Baron offers up the death of Life as a warning to all the old school among us: catch up or bail out. He argues that the digital world has completely changed the flow of information in the world, and irrevocably. “The reality is more and more that everyone, young and old, male and female, rich and poor, is changing how they get news, get insight and understanding of events and people and organizations that interest them, and how they interact with each other and network together.”
Micro Persuasion
Steve Rubel offers up more proof that blogging has become an official mainstream form of communication: JibJab has included A-list bloggers such as Robert Scoble and Chris Pirillo in its latest flash animation parody, mocking America’s celebrity news culture. “You know you've made it big when you're in a JibJab video (which by the way is a great commentary on our celebrity obsessed news media).”
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