Personal vs. Professional (and Other PR Blog Jots)

Nothing Personal...
Young PR
Paull Young posts on the dilemma many young communications professionals are facing when it comes to social networking: how do we keep our personal and professional lives separate? Formerly, Paull kept his friends on MySpace and his professional network on LinkedIn, but friends and colleagues alike embracing Facebook, where is the younger generation of professionals to draw the line in blending personal with professional—and would we really want colleagues included in our personal social networks? “An up and coming PR pro in their 20’s is not going to be thinking about where photos from the pub at 3am will turn up. But as their professional network expands they’ll need to start thinking about it, less they make an arse of themselves in front of those they need to prove their maturity to."

iPhone Mania
Tech PR Gems
Todd Van Hoosear went to a local at&t store recently to hear about what plans would be offered with the launch of the much-hyped Apple iPhone, only to discover the sales team woefully under informed. He points out that while keeping the general public in suspense over such a highly anticipated new gadget may be normal, but why not at least share some details with the teams responsible for selling it? Although in this case, it seems the public may be better informed than the sales team after all.  “While the hype around this is astounding, as a PR pro, I wondered one thing. Is this the norm? Maybe for Apple it is, last week and this week they keep making pre-announcements on battery life, rate plans, you name it. I wonder if those guys working in the store even know this.”

Newspapers Evolving with the Times?
Communications Overtones
Newspapers have been making strides towards incorporation of social media, including user-generated content and reporter blogs. Kami Huyse reports they are also beginning to join the online video game, with the New York Times and Washington Post (following an earlier similar announcement from the Wall Street Journal) announcing they will be sharing embeds for their online video content. Kami thinks this may be part of the iPhone effect, as the Times uses video to post an entertaining review of the new device. “As for television, Fox has inked a deal with Brightcove to become its online video platform. Overall, television (protecting its assets I am sure) has been slow on the uptake of sharing content.  For newspapers this is a value-added proposition, and as I have said before, I believe newspapers, and ultimately television, will adapt to the new realities facing them.”

Comments

[Paull Young]

Thanks for pointing to my post Chip.

I've been following your engagement with the PR blogosphere with interest, you're dong a great job.

The sponsor sections on FIR are top notch and this blog is a smart way to get on the agenda.

[Sarah Wurrey]

Paull, your post definitely rung true with me, as I also have both personal and professional networks online. It's an interesting dilemma in this new era!