Jay Rosen has fired a broadside at the PR blogging “community” – well all oppressed groups should have a collective identity.
He’s upset that the majority of PR bloggers let the whole Ketchum episode slide by.
The only PR bloggers not being sent to stand in the corner are Jeremy Pepper and the class president Richard Edelman.
Trevor Cook may escape censure as he came in with his homework, albeit late, Trevor 🙂
Steve Rubel has a note from his mummy:
“I am square on his MIA list. In my case, I feel like I am free and clear because I blog about the intersection between blogs and PR. Blogs had nothing to do with this episode. I am only blogging it now because Rosen, a journalism professor, is criticizing the PR bloggers.”
Meanwhile myself and Shel Holtz are sitting are our desks feeling smug and unloved at the same time.
Smug because we both posted stories on the Ketchum snafu and upset because the teacher doesn’t know we’re in his class.
So, is it a critical failing of the PR bloggers that they didn’t cover Ketchum? Not critical no.
I’d agree with Jay that this is another appalling VNR episode. He has a point that this probably should have been covered more widely but it wasn’t ignored.
Perhaps after the Karen Ryan episode everyone had vented enough?
Certainly everyone I’ve talked with believes that Ketchum have shown gross negligence (and ethically every single person I have chatted with, has been appalled).
It clearly illustrates why VNRs are not the way forward.
However, human nature being as it is, as long as broadcasters are willing to dilute the power of their own content by pushing this rubbish out – it will not stop.
Hopefully this will teach Ketchum (and others) a lesson about the ethical issues around “broadcast” VNRs – but I wouldn’t count on it.
Also, while the PR bloggers are standing in the corner, I hate to be a snitch, but surely the Council of PR Firms and the PRSA should be taking a stance on this issue?
Anyhow if you need us, myself and Shel will be out playing in the yard.
Update:
- Mea culpa. Apologies to first of all Alice Marshall who was first out of the blocks on this story, Jim Horton had his Ketchum post on January 9, 2005 and I also omitted Colin McKay’s post – apologies. Alice, Jim and Colin are more than welcome to join myself and Shel in the yard.
- Meanwhile homework is flooding in from Neville Hobson, Elizabeth Albrycht, Matthew Podboy, Ben Silverman. Jeremy Pepper has more commentary.
Murphy's Law 