How I see it, as I see it.

Spokesperson training has existed as long as PR itself. 

As William Wray Carney suggests in his media relations textbook “In the News,” one of the most basic principles is to “provide information form a credible source.”

Todd Defren, experienced PR blogger and father to the social media news release, would agree.  His most recent post describes a “social media engagement” between one of his clients and an industry blogger.  Long story short, he suggested one of his clients “get involved in the Comments section” of the blog. 

In his post, Defren explains that this approach defeated several unsuccessful attempts to get the blog’s author, Gina Trapani, to write about his client — NEAT Receipts.   

At first, my red flag went up.  With all sorts of online conversations attacking floggers and ethically questionable online activity, I was caught a bit off guard.  However, as I read on, I began to develop an understanding of what made this practice acceptable.  The key being spokesperson training and disclosing who that spokesperson is and what they represent. 

Defren and his team’s ability to identify this online conversation, and approach it correctly, led to a “big-time profile of a NEAT Receipts customer in the cover story of the March edition of Fortune Small Business.”

This success story demonstrates the potential that lies within social media.  The modern blog, a mere six years old according to wikipedia, is hardly new media anymore.  However, the adoption of social media tools within PR strategies are continuously redefining the medium and its abilities. 

As PR professionals continue to get a handle on the new bells and whistles afforded by social media, success stories like Defren’s become valuable resources. In effect, redefining the tool as a resource within itself.

As PR bloggers are being looked to as the experts, and their blogs as classrooms — how do you feel this will help or hinder the public relations profession?