Online Journalism Review: Blogged Down in the PR Machine. PR agencies are only now beginning to wake up to the importance of Weblogs in the mediasphere, and many aren’t sure how to deal with them.
This is an excellent look at a phenomenon that’s taking shape much more quickly than either the traditional journalism or PR communities has understood.
I don’t know how to quantify the impact of weblogs. I do know that they’ve become a key resource for me. I glance at many each day (some of which are listed to the right on this page), and I’m betting this applies to lots of folks.
Blogs are only one kind of new-era communication. Companies have learned to pay attention to chat rooms and bulletin boards. Some companies are so paranoid that they sue people for anonymous postings there.
I don’t envy the job of the PR person. It was hard enough when a distinct group of traditional journalists served as gatekeepers. We don’t have that select role anymore. That may be good for everyone in the long run, but it’s making life complicated in the meantime.