Recovering PR pro Shel Israel and my good friend, Microsoft super-blogger Robert Scoble, are co-writing a book via blog called The Red Couch.
The book explains the why and how of blogging to business people. Bookmark their blog or simply subscribe to their RSS feed.
Using recent case studies throughout its 250-300 pages, the Red Couch will demystify this disruptive technology and explaining why it is more efficient, credible and effective than traditional business communications tools and explains why it is likely to change or destroy the usual marketing mix of ads, PR, websites and collateral materials.
In today’s installment, Israel ponders whether blogging is part of or a replacement for journalism and PR. His conclusion is that blogging will become part of both. As my regular readers know, I could not agree more. Cut out this passage out and stick it on your fridge. Send it to all your colleagues and plaster it on t-shirts, because it’s 100% true…
“”Blogging today has superior credibility, adheres to better rules of self-governance and reshapes how and why PR will be practiced if it is to survive. PR people cannot just treat blogging as another channel down which they will toss the same old crap.
Their new role will be to teach company officials to speak for themselves, in a plain language and adhering to the rules that makes blogging a more credible communications channel. This creates a huge opportunity for the very best of PR practitioners.
I think blogging is indeed part of a new PR that has only now just begun to form, but will take shape and offer value in the not too distant future–but blogging and PR practitioners need to approach each other with the same caution as two amorous porcupines.” – Shel Israel, genius”
Steve Rubel is a PR strategist with nearly 16 years of public relations, marketing, journalism and communications experience. He currently serves as a Senior Vice President with Edelman, the largest independent global PR firm.
He authors the Micro Persuasion weblog, which tracks how blogs and participatory journalism are changing the public relations practice.
