Blogosphere: We can smell the bad PR.

Public relations practitioners serve as liaisons between organizational goals of the clients they represent with the information they provide to the public(s). The ethical dilemma arises when organizational goals conflict with professional standards of protecting public trust and ensuring the integrity of the profession.

From a professional standpoint, public relations practitioners or integrated marketing firms are in the business of providing a specific return of investment for the clients they represent. Basically, a client wants to see where they money is being invested for a desirable result, which could be influencing the publics perception or the medias perception of the organization and its goals.

The goal of public professionals is to promote corporate responsibility through the concept of full disclosure of corporate practices and goals to the publics PR professionals serve within their communities. In essence, the PR professional is not only accountable to the client they represent, but to the public they serve.

What is corporate responsibility? According to Jacquie L'Etang and Magda Pieczka in "Public relations: critical debates and contemporary practice" the authors states “corporate responsibility” has two distinct characteristics. The first is those voluntary and benevolent actions taken by corporations in society outside the primary economic function and the second those actions taken by corporations in response to corporate disasters

The focus will be on the former of these two distinct characteristics of corporate responsibility in public relations. As a public relations practitioner, the goal of corporate responsibility is not always the agenda of the corporations.

Many corporations utilize public relations programming and tactics to alter negative pre-existing perceptions about the nature of their business. This is including using new platform stages such as blogospheres. There have been some notable instances, where these tactics have backfired including the Walmarting Across America.

Let’s paint the picture. Wal-Mart hired the public relations firm of Edelman for a campaign to help clean up the company’s public perception of the treatment of their employees. Steve Rubel, one of the best and the brightest in the blogosphere, joined the firm and has been in the forefront of figuring out how to intertwine public relations and the world of blogging.

Well, he developed the Walmarting Across America campaign where a couple named Jim and Laura would park a RV in Wal-Mart’s parking lots and write folksy blogs about how the employees all “love” working for Wal-Mart. The couple was hired by Edelman and Wal-Mart to perform this task.

Well there were two smelly elements to this picture. One is the couple did not let the audiences know they were hired employees for Wal-Mart by way of Edelman. Secondly, they were professionals. Laura, was freelance writer and Jim was a staff photographer for the Washington Post.

You might be asking yourself this, “what’s wrong with it?” It is called disclosure to your audience and it backfired. Wal-Mart and Edelman perpetuated the corporate idea that full disclosure is not part of the agenda of the corporate community.

It is about maximum results on image and less on being responsible to the community where these businesses operate. Also, it is about quick a return on investment with no accountability. Social responsibility in my opinion is a conscious concept that corporations and public relations practitioners must take time and careful consideration before it can be established in the mindset of the public.

It involves disclosure as well as consideration to all publics where these entities operate and serve. If these elements are not present, it is nothing more than just a quick tactic or program to alter public perception.

I believe if there is a negative pre-existing perception of corporations and if they choose a “quick fix” approach with public relations tactics. Positive perception will only be short termed because the bigger issue was not really addressed in the public mindset.

My advice for any public relations practitioner, who uses the blogosphere for PR initiatives or tactics, is to be honest and practice full disclosure. We are living in a digital age and where professional credentials can be easily verified.

A retort to Rupert Murdoch

Many of the newspapers in the U.S., including The Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Philadelphia Inquirer are experiencing decreased paid circulation "Pressure on the Presses,"Wall Street Journal. One contributing factor is the decline of readership of younger audiences and emergence of multimedia platforms on the Internet.

The other causal factor is the economical cost involved in the production and distribution of the newspaper product. Simply, it is expensive to produce a product that people can simply obtain online or via their mobile device. The outcome is younger citizens are technologically savvy and utilizing home computers and portable devices to get news information when and how they want it.

So, why is Rupert Murdoch more concern of government assistance than new platforms of information distribution? Well, the answer is simple. It is the corporate bottom line that was established by such conglomerates like News Corp.

A defining characteristic of media conglomerates is the practice of diversification and acquisitions of other media products across different media markets. News Corp practice diversification to ensure that performance does not depend on a single product or service News Corp's media products.

The main advantage of the diversification into different media businesses comes from sharable content across different platforms of distribution. The potential pitfall is the repurposing of information across these different platforms in local markets. Also, it will negatively impact the coverage of issues or angles of stories important to the local communities that newspapers serve.

Guess what, Mr. Murdoch? You have enabled the fall of print journalism with this practice of diversification and turning content into a “product” that is supposed to yield a return on your investment. Now, Internet and mobile technologies have given people another choice.

I agree with your second point content is not free. But, younger consumers will pay for quality content not repurposed content that is streamed from one distribution channel to another. Yes, the hyperlocal market will be the future of print journalism. It will bring back some of the early principles of reporting where journalists are reporting the operations of the government and even local governments, which are not covered much in local newspapers.

Secondly, the hyperlocal media markets will bring back investigative reporting in local communities, which has been phased out by diversified conglomerates like News Corp. Also, it will allow reporting of national stories with a local angle using local sources. Finally, the hyperlocal media markets allow users to interact with the story within their communities Printed Blog.



These new hyperlocal media markets will allow communities to connect. Also, they can generate advertising revenue from the untapped small business market. These small businesses can advertise cheaper comparatively to print ads. Again, younger consumers will pay for relevant content within their own communities. Also, small businesses can get voice in the sea of advertising competition of larger competitors at a local level.

I agree the First Amendment was designed for an informed citizenry by means of the press. Yet, the capitalistic model and greed of conglomerates such as News Corp have put a veil on citizens for at least three decades. Now, technology has enabled the younger audiences to see beyond this model and made them savvy of the repurposing of content.

Young news consumers are now able to stream video, Podcasts, blogs, and Tweet news events as they happen with others. I believe Rupert Murdoch’s next acquisitions venture will be in the hyperlocal market due to its potential to reach the local audience he has lost. He knows if there are many eyes reading content that there is money to be made.

The whisperers and marketers of social media platforms: Big businesses listen to end users

Why do we get those advertisements on Facebook and MySpace? How do marketers and public relations professionals know our buying and donation preferences when developing messages to us on these platforms designed for discussion with friends and peers?

The answer is quite interesting for discussion and simple for marketing and public relations professionals that develop target specific messages based on user interests and opinions.



Users of products and services use these platforms to discuss overall performance and satisfaction offered by businesses. Internet social media platforms are becoming the new consumer guide to products with the idea people with similar interests share the same kind of buying habits.

How do these businesses target our friends?

To put it simply, we all have established friendships based on common interests and professional goals. Facebook and MySpace has developed marketing applications for companies and organizations to reach audiences based on these mutual connections
(Facebook advertising and MySpace advertising)

The pricing for these social media marketing activities are relatively inexpensive for corporations and organizations using social media to reach potential consumers. This is compare to traditional advertising and marketing endeavors used by traditional media outlets such as network prime time advertising.

How do businesses monitor so many social media sites?

I had to ask myself this question. After research, it does not take long to realize marketing and public relations professionals are using sophisticated social media software to monitor these sites and what end users are saying about products and services of the companies they represent.



Companies and organizations can utilize these software programs to determine overall impressions of messages received by target audiences as well as gauge success of campaigns.

These monitoring programs give these professionals the ability to modify and change messages based on user’s preferences and common interests in these social network communities.
Most online communities allow members to create a personal profile. A profile allows each user to post their basic information so that others within the online social network can learn more about them.

This works particularly well for you as it means businesses and organizations can easily collect basic data on you. It is a quick and cost-effective way to better understand customers.

Is your profile interesting to marketers?

It is the end users interests to others as well as others interested to the end user that attracts public relations and marketing professionals. It is not just the blogs and conversations now that attract users to social platform Internet sites.

Now, users can share pictures as well as video images to spark interest and conversations among these social network groups. Some platforms integrate these technologies to accommodate the user experience to these sites.

With the development of these integrated elements, there have been a spawn of other social sites to cater to users, who only express thoughts through a combination of visual and audio elements Flickr, Youtube, and Stickam a few to mention.

The interesting element about Stickam allows users to stream live video to other users in order to stimulate discussion about what they have seen and heard from other end users.

Marketing and public relations professionals are capitalizing on these sites to establish brand recognition as well as testing the overall performance of target specific messaging.

The whispers or now the spokespeople of businesses

In final thought, businesses are starting to realize brand recognition comes from the perceptions of the consumer of the products or services offered. Internet social communities and networks comprised of “friends” with similar interests and thoughts are dictating success for businesses.

Traditional marketing and public relations models are being scientifically as well as mathematical to show how messages are perceived by targeted mass audiences. In the past, these professionals used traditional media outlets to target these individuals.

Success was not easily determined by such methods. Now, messages can be gauged based on user interaction with products in their forums of discussion. Performance and value are no longer abstract ideas for these professionals. These professionals now have concrete data to show the return on investment on developing these messages.

MSNBC: Countdown with Keith Olbermann Podcast Review

After reviewing MSNBC: Countdown with Keith Olbermann , some formats such as television are placing popular news programming via audio or video Podcasts. Is this an effective strategy to attract younger audiences to the Podcast? Is it new “news” or just regurgitation to a different platform?


Keith Olbermann Pictures


All one has to do is visit a Podcast ranking site such as Podcastalley, and discover that young viewers and listeners are not interested in the typical routine that has been part of the current media platforms for years. The Podcast I reviewed did not make the top 50 of widely listened Podcasts.

The content in this Podcast was the typical humdrum viewers of the program would expect when watching the program on television. I found myself drifting in thought due to the 42 minute length of the program. The presentation of the program by Keith Olbermann and guests sounded like a typical newscast a viewer would expect to see.

In the case of this Podcast version of the program, the Podcast most likely missed attracting younger viewers. The Podcast would have been more effective if content had been modified for younger audiences.

For example, some of the news content talked about the proposed health care reform from an older American’s point of view. To attract the younger audience, the content should have been focused on how proposed health care reform could help or harm younger Americans in the future. These issues are relevant for younger audiences.

The program did have guest speakers, but these guests did not embody the desired audiences the Podcast was intended to reach. From an audience member’s standpoint of view, it is easier to relate with someone who is closer to your own age and has an understanding of concern of shared issues.

The Podcast’s had one minor technical issue. The voices did sound muffled throughout the program at times. This could have been addressed through more time spent at the editing bay.

In final thought, traditional media outlets must realize it is not about just employing new Internet technologies to reach a younger audience. It is about identifying with these audiences.

In my opinion, networks such MSNBC need to disregard traditional conventions and realize what has worked before does not apply in a society where information, technology and audiences intersect creating a true information highway.

Media outlets can either be maps to guide audiences in this electronic information revolution or be bystander while others redefine uses of information.

Reality television or not? (Op-Ed piece)

How much more American reality television programs can viewers endure? Television executives and producers are racing to attract audiences with this expanding genre by appealing to audience’s personal desire for fame and money.

Before examining how executives and producers appeal to audience desires in reality television programming, we must look at some history behind American reality television programming. Where did we first see the emergence of this genre into mainstream cable television?

It all started with seven strangers picked to live in loft have their lives taped and to find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real. This introduction was developed by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray in 1992 of MTV’s reality show “Real World.”



The idea was ground-breaking in television programming during this new era of cable television. The goal of Murray and Bunim was to expose audiences to “real” human emotions rather than the traditional scripted program of the networks.

The success of this genre is due to numerous factors including appeal to a specific target audience and shock-conflict value of the episodes. The latter is an important element for any successful reality program.

We all like to relate in some way to each of these individuals. We root for our favorites and have disdain those who are out to harm them. Reality television promises to give us people that we can relate to on some level or another. Or has it?

The popularity of reality programming on MTV developed by Bunim/Murray Productions has crossed over into traditional network television as well as other cable networks.

Today’s reality television programs target audience’s desire for fame and money rather than the “real” human experience. This is evident with programs such as:

The Biggest Loser
The Bachelor
Project Runway
American Idol
Top Chef
Big Brother
America's Got Talent
Survivor
The Next Food Network Star
So You Think You Can Dance

It is this desire for fame and money that television executives and producers use when developing reality programming. So, what would you do for a million dollars or a chance to be famous?



I am now going to speak from personal experience. I had considered being a second season contestant of The Biggest Loser when I was 285lbs. I did not care about the money or the fame that is associated with the program.

I just wanted to loose the weight for my personal health. I had decided to contact one of the first season’s contestants before submitting my video and my personal bio to NBC. I discovered the reality behind The Biggest Loser is it starts the contestants with rapid weight loss program in an unhealthy manner.

He informed me that the producers and executives needed quick results for television viewing audiences. This raised my eyebrow when discussing this with a previous contestant of the reality show.

Also, producers encouraged to show their disappointment and emotions of the weight goals that they did not attain for that specific week. From this discussion, I decided not to proceed in sending my video and personal bio to NBC.

Reality television started as an experiment with seven strangers picked to live in loft to have their lives taped and to find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real. It has become a contest of fame and monetary gain.

Reporting to defined user audiences

The journalism profession and eyes of audiences searching for news content are shifting. Internet technology keeps expanding and new platforms for audience interaction online are blurring the lines of traditional channels of distributions of the media industry.

Facebook phenomena

Social networking sites such as Facebook is taking advantage of Internet technology of connecting users by providing a free of charge online service allowing users to connect to old classmates, friends and colleagues.

Users can exchange real time information with defined established social groups about various topics, which can range from personal to local news within these social networks. So, how does this affect a traditional news organizations and reporters?

Facebook reports it has 300 million active users with six billion minutes spent on the server each day http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics. Many eyes are viewing and scanning Facebook on a regular basis. Facebook’s fastest demographic audience is 35-years-old and older. Also, more than two billion pieces of content (links, blog posts, news stories, and photos) are produced daily.

Reporters working in traditional channels of distribution in the media industry are realizing Internet audiences are not confined by market distribution. Instead, Internet audiences are defined niches that have shared interests. They use the Facebook platform for discussion. These virtual podiums enhance marketplace of ideas, which many reporters use to create content for mass audiences.

With diversified audiences and user content of Facebook, traditional reporters have more opportunities to tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience boldly, even when it is unpopular to do so http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp.

Twittering news coverage

So, where does Twitter fit into the scheme of reporting news coverage? Twitter is another real time Internet social network allowing users to link to others with short blasts of updates about what is happening in the user’s life and surroundings. The user can use text, photo and video feeds to update.

The concept of reporting events and news as it happens is the goal of every established news organization. Several news distributors have discovered Twitter as a channel to distribute news alerts.

As messages in Twitter are restricted to 140 characters, news alerts in Twitter can only consist of a headline and a URL of the article where the full text can be read. Twitter is an additional channel where news alerts that are already available on other platforms (website, news ticker, RSS feed, and SMS alert) can also be distributed without cost for the subscriber http://help.twitter.com/forums/10711/entries/13920.

Several gateways between the existing news alert feeds and Twitter were initially build by persons who were not affiliated with the publishers of the news alerts. Even now it is not always clear if the news alerts on Twitter are officially endorsed by the original publishers.

It is clear that Twitter can be an effective tool for journalists, but journalists must not be lax on identifying their sources as well as the reliability of the source’s information. So, it means reporters must still be diligent in preserving the integrity of the profession.

Journalism remains the same, just different techniques

At its core the job of the working journalist, it has remained unchanged. It is the methods of gathering information for reporting the news to audiences, which has changed within the media industry. Also, it is the audiences that are changing with these new platforms.

Audiences are becoming more segmented and shared Internet global communities are emerging on a daily basis. The new goal of the media professional is to identify these communities and report news that is relevant to these audiences. National and local news will always be pertinent to these audiences.

Now, these communities have platforms to discuss these issues and how they impact their daily lives. Reporters now have a new duty to report as well as respond to the viewers and readers of this new platform.

Sea of Convergence

As many new students and young professionals enter into the study and the field of journalism, they are aware of concepts of social media and blogging when developing content or other strategic communication for their perspective media outlet or clients.

What about the established media professional who is out of the loop on such reporting techniques and these new strategic communication efforts to reach broader audiences? Newspaper, radio and television have been in the mainstream of society as sources of information for people for decades.

Of course, the established media professional has been taught through the course of years via educational and practical applications on how to develop messages to their perspective target audiences based on demographic criteria. In this Internet driven era, some of the old conventions do not apply.

The Internet and its technologies have eliminated the many distinctions between these mainstream media outlets. Web pages allow users to scan, view and listen to what information is relevant to their needs. It switches the model of the journalism industry from a news-driven profession to an audience-need driven model.

As communication technologies keep developing, novice users can capture images, videos and report real time news events as they happen. Also, users now have the ability to share these stories to other users via social media sites and blogging sites on the Internet.

As audiences eyes are switching to another medium as a source of information, advertising dollars are going with those eyes to catch their attention to sell a specific product or service. What does that mean for the mainstream media?

It is simple. When advertising dollars are being diverted to another channel of communication, there will be less money for that specific outlet. What does it mean for the professional at that outlet? It could be restructuring of the organization or potential layoffs.

What can media outlets do to survive this changing environment? Media outlets are following the old adage, “if you can’t beat them, then join them.” Some media outlets and professionals are joining in with users of online opinion based journalism when reporting news to their mainstream audiences.

Media organizations are recognizing these changes and using these technologies to their advantage enabling viewers to interact and report these stories as they happen. What about accountability?

In this new medium, this seems to be an afterthought. When operating in an Internet reporting environment, viewer attention like everything in the media industry is the top importance.

How does the industry effectively navigate?

* In my opinion, professionals must still adhere to traditional techniques while still applying new conventions when reporting the news or presenting information to the public.

* Know your various audiences. Mainstream media channels must recognize there are various audiences within their perspective markets by segmenting. Once identifying and segmenting the specific audiences, the media channel may have to devote energies into multiple news sites to appeal to each of these markets.

* Adhere to reporting relevance within each of these markets. If community journalism is part of the online rapport, this is one dimension the mainstream media is lacking the public is yearning.

* Gauge your success of the site by the number of hits you have on the site and comments left by viewers of the site of the stories reported or information presented.