AP's Battle with Bloggers Continues...

As I reported yesterday, the Associated Press arranged a sit-down with the Media Bloggers Association in response to boycotts over their litigious actions against a small Blogger who quoted and credited an AP story.

Now, the AP wants all Bloggers to pay to quote them. Yep. You read that right. The global press service has announced a Web Use Charge for AP passages as short as 5 words in length. This includes passages that are not stolen; not plagiarized - but fully attributed and quoted directly with links back to the AP source.

The pricing scale for using AP content begins at $12.50 for 5-25 words and goes as high as $100 for 251 words and up. Nonprofit organizations and educational institutions enjoy a discounted rate.

Now, I will always speak out against plagiarism. As a writer myself (and not just of this blog), I truly understand the total violation of someone stealing your work and your words. But, like so many of my colleagues, I can't get my head around how this pricing model will be enforced.

Rather than paraphrase what others are saying, allow me to quote them directly (for free and with all due accreditation).

PoliGazette.com asks: What’s considered quoting the AP? If President Bush says something, and the AP quotes Bush, are we then not allowed to quote Bush anymore because the AP also quotes him?

BetaNews asks: Suppose a news source holds a press conference and makes a statement to several attendees including an AP correspondent. Does the citation of that quote count as an excerpt of an AP story? What if Reuters cited the same quote? Or worse, what if Reuters cited the quote differently, and a Blogger noticed the difference and excerpted both for comparison? If the AP citation turned out to be in error, would the Blogger still owe?

Techachio asks: Should “boilerplate” words count towards the fee? For example, a phrase common among news stories is "XYZ Company had this to say" when prefacing a published statement or quote. If the AP runs a story with this phrase, will it therefore cost anyone else $12.50 to use this 10 cent expression?

Michelle Malkin, in a rather hilarious twist, adds that she found several examples of the Associated Press quoting her Blog directly (without links back or accreditation). Malkin estimates that by the AP's pricing model, she is owed $132,125.

With that in mind, I have most certainly seen leads from The Drudge Report and posts from The HuffingtonPost quoted in AP stories. Perhaps Matt and Arianna were adequately compensated.

And, I'd add to the debate: what about the citizen-journalists who break major stories? Talking Points Memo, for instance, broke the Alberto Gonzalez story - which was picked up by major news channels, including the AP. Was David Kurtz paid by word? TPM was also instrumental in the reporting that led to U.S. Senator Trent Lott’s resignation, which was certainly picked up by major market media. Other Bloggers like GigaOm and TechCrunch have broken major news and have been directly quoted by major media, including the Associated Press, with no Web Use Charge for its online reporting of their stories.

Likewise, if you read my blog, you know The New York Times followed Bloggers' lead in the Target PR blunder. Were those folks compensated when the AP picked up the story? And, what if the AP runs information gathered from Brew Blog, does Miller get paid?

Finally, how about Reporter-Blogs? As we've already seen, 95% of the top 100 newspapers offer Reporter-Blogs. Yet, traditional media are exempt from paying to reprint AP news.

Timothy Wu, a professor at the Columbia Law School said the case is not clear-cut, but he believes that the AP is likely to lose a court case to assert a claim. "One important legal test of whether an excerpt exceeds fair use is if it causes financial harm to the copyright owner. I hardly think a Blogger, especially one who has issued proper accreditation and who links web site traffic back to the Associated Press, can be proven to have caused financial harm."

So...the saga continues. I will keep you informed...

-- my two cents

image courtesy of bizarro.com

AP Responds to Blogger Boycotts with a Sit-Down

Certainly blogger credibility has been a hot topic here and now a new twist has come into play.

Here's the breakdown:

Last week the Associated Press filed takedown notices against the Drudge Retort (a small news community whose name is a parody of the more prominent Drudge Report) for use of its content on the site.

By Saturday, online protests urging bloggers to boycott the AP were set up by the aptly-named UnAssociated Press. The boycott encourages bloggers to make use of other agencies' material in response to the AP's takedown notice.

Meanwhile the blogosphere lit up this weekend with criticism against the AP for going after a small blogger who appears to be in compliance with "fair use" provisions of copyright law. (The Drudge Retort included links back to the AP articles and attributed proper credit to the original authors.)

Yesterday (Monday), in response to the blogger reaction, the Associated Press announced plans to meet with the Media Bloggers Association to help form guidelines under which AP news stories could be quoted online. Jim Kennedy, the AP's director of strategic planning, said that meeting's goal is to "create standards for online use of AP stories by bloggers that would protect AP content without discouraging bloggers from legitimately quoting it."

Today many bloggers are accusing the Associated Press of trying to control the blogosphere. Michael Arrington, a blogger who has boycotted the AP, wrote on his TechCrunch blog that the Associated Press "doesn't get to make its own rules about how its content is used, if those rules are stricter than the law allows ... they are trying to claw their way to a set of property rights that don’t exist today and that they are not legally entitled to."

Arrington goes on to outline his stance on the boycott, stating: "So here’s our new policy on A.P. stories: they don’t exist. We don’t see them, we don’t quote them, we don’t link to them. They’re banned until they abandon this new strategy, and I encourage others to do the same until they back down from these ridiculous attempts to stop the spread of information around the Internet."

Techcrunch hit home on the real issue here: fair use. Are people allowed to take small quotes from the AP stories for the purpose of starting a discussion or reporting news, while giving proper credit and linking back to the original author?

Intellectual property attorneys say the issue falls into murky legal terrain because the original law was drafted pre-web. And, it's isn't just the AP trying to navigate these waters. Last year, Google agreed to a licensing deal with Agence France Presse, which claimed indexing its leads to the wire service's stories amounted to copyright infringement.

Nancy Mertzel, a New York intellectual property attorney with Thelen Reid, explains the danger in any precedent set here, "If there was a court decision that said quoting from a news story was an infringement, then I think a lot of blogs would have to rethink their business model."

Kennedy said the AP had no intention of making such strict rules or setting any kind of legal standard. He also said AP was reconsidering how and when to send legal notices to bloggers in hopes of giving them "a little more leeway."

Meanwhile, some bloggers are upset that the Media Bloggers Association is even involved. According to Bloggers For Change, "...[the] Media Bloggers Association, of course, are walking right into that meeting because they crave nothing more than creating the impression that they, you know, represent bloggers (they don't). But anyone with an inkling of understanding of the law and principles at stake would know that the AP has no ground to stand on, and anything negotiated between them and the MBA will be ignored by the vast majority of bloggers anyway."

I am not a legal scholar, but I certainly recall my college courses in libel law and basic copyright infringement, and from my limited experience, I have to agree with TechCrunch and the others. As long as a blogger uses proper accreditation, there is no infringement. The blog, Copysense has an interesting and legal perspective on the case, which I encourage folks to read. It's rather long, but it outlines the specific codes of conduct that are currently on the books.

In the meantime, it will be very interesting to see how this plays out.

-- my two cents

Will Mainstream Media Morph Into Blog-Form For Good?

We've spent a lot of time here discussing blogger credibility and journalistic integrity. A pal sent me a link today to a medical skepticism blog called Neurologica Blog in which the author, Dr. Steven Novella rants a bit about poor science journalism.

This is not a new topic for me as this particular pal, Patrick, often points out poorly sourced science or medical news; a specific annoyance for him is the mention of a study with no details about how the study was conducted. Fair point, too, because let's face it, a study of 10 subjects is hardly as significant as one with 1,000. As is the case with most things, truth lies in the details.

Anyway, Patrick sent me to Dr. Novella's blog because of a particular post in which the mainstream press got it wrong and the good Doctor concluded with this comment:

"Perhaps the news editors thought this was not a “science” story but a “human interest” (i.e. fluff) piece. That may help explain the gross journalistic incompetence, but it does not excuse it. The bottom line is that they got the story wrong and misinformed the public.

Mainstream journalism is slowly dying in the age of the internet. This will probably lead to bloggers (or whatever comes after blogs) largely filling the gap. But if journalists want to maintain their central position in news reporting they are going to have to do a better job."

In Patrick's email to me, he said: Made me think of something you said quite a while back. Funny, at the time you said it I thought, "really?"

Patrick, is referring to my long-held belief that soon we will see more "old school journalism" in bloggers than in mainstream media. A belief, that is often poorly received in PR circles. In fact, when I raised this point on a PR panel about eighteen months ago, I thought folks were gonna rush the stage in protest! But, I still stand by it. Bloggers are breaking stories that a lot of traditional media simply aren't investigating. And, it's not just in politics, bloggers are breaking news about major corporations that mainstream media later pick up on. (In some cases, the timeliness of a blogger's post can give savvy investors a leg up over the general market as was the case with Best Buy's VC news.)

Now, let me be clear, I do not favor bloggers over major media. Both channels have their pros and cons. But, I think we can all attest to some sloppiness in traditional media reporting lately. And, I agree with Dr. Novella. Some traditional reporters need to re-establish themselves as the first and best source of news. I think it can be done. But, the question now is simply, will it?

In my recent post, I referenced a study indicating that a full 95% of the top 100 US newspapers now offer reporter blogs (much to the chagrin of Mark Cuban). So, it really makes me wonder if we will simply see major media morph into blog-form. With those figures, it is a possibility. And, really, a New York Times blog still carries the same cache as a New York Times editorial. The only difference is formatting and editorial hierarchy.

I'm not suggesting newspapers will go away. But, I do wonder if the move toward blogs will change how they are packaged online. Kind of like when MTV launched and suddenly the packaging of music changed to style over substance; the look of the band had a greater impact on their success than the talent behind them because of visual medium of MTV. I wonder if the packaging of online news will simply shift to blog-form.

In the meantime, I do hope major media — especially those who cover medical and science news that can impact people’s health — will take greater measures to accurately source, fact-check and re-check their stories.

-- my two cents

New Stats on Reporters, Blogs & How They Are Used

Although I still run into people who think bloggers are just guys sitting around in their mother's basements posting their rants in between games of Dungeons and Dragons, studies continue to show that the blogger demographic is more educated, more knowledgeable, and more relevant to our everyday lives than ever before.

As Mark Cuban learned a few months ago, an increasing number of reporters are blogging today. In fact, according to a study by the The Bivings Group, a full 95% of the top 100 US newspapers now offer reporter blogs (up from 80% in 2006), while 58% of the top 100 magazines provide blogs.

And, it's not just blogs helping people voice their opinions, it's the comments on the blogs. I've certainly enjoyed reading debates and discussions in the comments here and have used other Blog's comments sections to drive site traffic.

We all know that bloggers break stories these days -- from Rathergate, which led to Dan Rather's early retirement from CBS to the Albert Gonzales scandal, bloggers are at the forefront. And, certainly in January Target learned that major media follow the lead of bloggers. But, a recent study indicates that reporters use blogs less as a news source and more as a way to connect with readers and check up on competition.

In a survey of US journalists by PR Week, PR Newswire and Millward Brown, 57.7% of respondents said they used blogs to measure sentiment, 51% used them to gauge how their competitors were covering stories, and 38.7% of respondents used blogs as a mechanism to dig up sources.

Nearly 40% of journalists scouring blogs for story ideas is still quite significant. And, based on my conversations with reporters and my study of story timelines (from boards to blogs to major media), I think those numbers are low. Bottom line, blogs, micro-blogging, social bookmarking and really all social media is still in its infancy and I think we are only just beginning to see the total impact this will have on our clients, our audiences and our profession.

-- my two cents

Wanna Reach Women? Blog it!

A new social media benchmark study by BlogHer and Compass Partners shows that 36.2 million women actively participate in the blogsophere every week, with 15.1 million publishing and 21.1 million reading and commenting.

68% of this community is concentrated in the 25 to 41 age group (the GenXr's), compared to 42% for the general blogging population. Together, the “Millienials” and the “Matures” account for only about 10% of this community.

Two thirds of the female blogosphere have completed college, and 46% earn over $75,000 compared to only 25% of the general community.

Additional highlights from the study:

Women are so passionate about blogging, says the report, that large percentages said they would give something up to keep the blogs they read and/or write:

55% would give up alcohol
50% would give up their PDAs
42% would give up their i-Pod
43% would give up reading the newspaper or magazines
only 20% would give up chocolate (ummm, yeah, gotta agree with that one!)

Time shift from traditional media is accelerating in the general Internet population:

24% of women surveyed watch less television because of blogging
25% read fewer magazines because they are blogging
22% read fewer newspapers because they're blogging

In addition, more than half of women surveyed consider blogs a reliable source of advice and information and half of women surveyed say blogs influence their purchase decisions.

So, if you want to reach women today, blog about it ... and maybe send us some chocolate too!

-- my two cents

Brilliant Beer Blogging From Miller

Can you imagine dedicating staff to do nothing but blog about your competitors? To report on their news? Run their press releases and re-run their articles? Well, in a stunning blogging strategy, Miller Brewing Company has done just that.

Brew Blog is not your typical stealth blog in that it is clearly labeled as being “brought to you by the Miller Brewing Company.” What it is, is the most ingenious corporate blog I’ve seen in quite some time. Miller hired former a Advertising Age reporter, James Arndorfer, to cover their industry, including the competition. They instructed him to write just like a beat reporter would.

The brilliance is that they’ve created a legitimate source for industry news (product launches, Nielsen sales stats, etc.) across all beer makers. By offering information that is genuinely useful to media, the blog becomes a go-to source for the press. They cover all companies to get the draw, and then toss in their own news to a waiting audience.

But, the best part is it’s written with just the slightest nuance of commentary. Take the post: More Bud/Bud Light Extensions on Tap?

In this post, they say: Back in January, Anheuser-Busch told Brandweek that it planned to tone down its new product push and focus on its core brands…Since then, of course, A-B has announced plans to introduce Bud Light Lime…

That “of course” is brilliant strategy. It is so subtle, but implies so much. (i.e. “back in Jan, they said they’d do this…then – of course – they did that”) It subliminally positions the competition as less-than-credible.

According to David Kesmodle’s WSJ article, Brew Blog is the brainchild of Paul Pendergrass and Pete Marino, communications consultants for Miller who wanted Miller to have more influence over what's covered in the industry. The site reaches mostly beer-industry professionals and received about 24,000 visits in the month ending April 10 -- representing more than 12,000 individual visitors.

Kesmodle uncovered another great example of the slyness behind this strategy in his article: In February, Mr. Arndorfer's industry sources were telling him that Anheuser was planning a lime-flavored version of Bud Light, the world's best-selling beer. He posted an article saying Anheuser appeared poised to roll out a knockoff of Miller Chill, a lime-and-salt-flavored brew launched by Miller last year. The scoop, chased by this and other publications, allowed Miller to paint Bud Light Lime as a "follower," says Nehl Horton, Miller's senior vice president for communications.

Just brilliant.

So, kudos to Miller for a truly unique, super-stealth, and - by all accounts - successful blogging strategy! You’ve definitely raised the bar for us.

--my two cents

AngryJournalist.com Lets Reporters Blow Off Steam Anonymously

In the 1976 classic Network, journalist Howard Beale shouted the now famous, line "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!" Well, it seems the sentiment still rings true today.

I’ve spent a lot of time here talking about blogger credibility, traditional media jobs changing or disappearing altogether, and the art of PR/MARCOM strategy stepping up with the web, but I haven’t really lent a voice to the genuine frustrations of today’s traditional journalist. Well, never fear, according to the worldwide news agency AFP, there is a new web site, which allows disgruntled, frustrated, and even enraged reporters to blow off a little steam anonymously. (Warning, some of the posts contain profanity.)

The site, which is really just a giant message board, is a terrific glimpse into the real annoyances, resentments and disappointments of traditional journalists today.

Some examples:

"I hate the fact that print and online can't work together! Come on, online is the future, so please have some respect for the webeditors!" says Angry Journalist #700.

"I’m angry I got plagiarized by a blogger, and that other bloggers picked up 'his' story … Why do readers think that some guy in his boxers sitting on his mom’s couch can give them better news? It must come back to the fact that news organizations have done such a poor job, due to layoffs, mismanagement, and outsourcing customer service, that the average reader really can’t tell the difference anymore," says Angry Journalist #2927.

Angry Journalist #2914 reflects a different perspective: "As a blogger who became a professional journalist, I’m still angry at publications using blogs for research and never giving credit where it’s due."

"I’m not angry, I refuse to be angry," said # 2900. "I am however disappointed that our noble profession has become a joke and real journalists are pushed aside. Why didn’t we catch Hillary’s Bosnia lie the moment it was spoken? Why didn’t we find Obama’s racist mentor first? Why didn’t we question the campaign finances of McCain? Why not challenge Al Gore’s hypocrisy? Or give equal time to legit scientists who challenge him? Why not look into who gave CBS a forged a memo? Why not challenge George Bush on his pre-war claims? I’m disappointed that the media has become lazy and nobody investigates anymore. The internet and bloggers are better at uncovering information than media. We’ve lost the respect of the people, and will have to regain it."

AFP scored an interview with AngryJournalist.com's creator, Kiyoshi Martinez, 23, who worked as web editor for Chicago area community newspapers. He told them he was disappointed about the direction of the industry and launched his website after reading a study on burnout among newspaper journalists.

Steve Outing, a columnist for the trade publication Editor and Publisher, said news executives should pay attention to angryjournalist.com. "Things get said on this website that otherwise would not get said -- other than perhaps at the neighborhood bar to co-workers or at home with a spouse," he wrote in his column last month. "I can't help but think that this is a good thing for the news industry."

I think PR pros should also pay attention. So often we forget, it's our job to make journalists' jobs easier. Reading about the things that most frustrate them will only help us to do that.

Meanwhile, in keeping with my previous post about journalists moving to the “dark side” of marketing/communications, Martinez now works as a communications specialist for the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus, and is reportedly happy to have left journalism, earning more money and more vacation in a better working environment.

“I'm having a blast," he said.

Credit to: AFP, worldwide news agency and Brietbart.com

Blogger Gets Book Deal Through Viral-PR Success

If you've ever doubted the legitimacy of the blog itself, the power of viral marketing as a PR tactic, or the value of bloggers as media contacts, you’ll want to read today’s post.

First week of January 08: Chris Lander, an internet copy writer, launched a tongue-in-cheek site called Stuff White People Like which pokes fun at Caucasian stereotypes. (A favorite entry of mine is “The No. 1 reason white people like not having a TV, is so they can tell you that they don’t have a TV.” Priceless.

Mid-January: The blog moved virally as friends passed the link to each other online and Stuff White People Like saw about 200 hits a day.

End of January: Bloggers picked it up and the publicity buzz began with site visitors jumping to 4,000/day in just 1 week.

Early February: Quoting bloggers, morning drive-time radio and online media talked about Lander's site, delivering 100,000 unique visitors a day.

Mid-February: Wired Magazine, The LA Times and various others reported on the blog’s content and, six weeks from launch, daily visitors hit 300,000.

End of February: The hosts of NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” debated whether the site is racist or satire, spawning more media coverage, and Stuff White People Like sees 1.5 million hits.

March 20: Random House announced a book deal for Lander with a paperback scheduled for release in August. Reports put the deal at around $300,000, an unheard of sum for a book spawned from a blog, written by a previously unpublished author.

Now, I’ve always said, the beauty of the web is it allows business to move at the speed of information. This book deal is living proof. In what other medium can one become a global success and a published author in three short months? It’s phenomenal.

And, apparently, it’s the new trend.

The site I Can Has Cheezburger, which features lolcats, (photos of animals with humorous, ungrammatical captions) debuted in January 2007. Three months later, the site had 1.6 million page views and literary agents were calling. After a bidding war, Gotham Books won the deal and the first book hits shelves this November.

The creator of the Skull-A-Day blog, a blog which features images of skulls made from candy, sparklers and other stuff, has a book deal for an October release.

And, the best seller “Julie and Julia,” about a woman who cooked one Julia Child recipe a day, started out as a blog. Likewise, “The Hipster Handbook,” spawned from freewilliamsburg.com in 2003, has sold 39,000 paperbacks, according to Nielsen BookScan.

So, the blogger legitimacy question has taken a new twist as literary agents are now scouring blogs for their next big deal. And, to that I’d like to say, I can be reached through the "Contact Me" links above.

-- my two cents

Martha Stewart: Homemaking Maven, MacBook Shill

Charlie Sorrel made a very interesting observation in his Wired Magazine blog yesterday.

In it, he describes a post on Martha Stewart's blog in which she espouses the virtues of the new MacBook Air. Those who know me know I love Martha. Sure, she's flawed, but she's also a super savvy businesswoman who turned her hobbies into an empire. That said, as Charlie notes, her comments sound an awful lot like a Apple press release.

I was so excited when my new MacBook Air arrived the other day. When I opened the box and examined this laptop, I was amazed by how razor thin and how light it is – just .76 of an inch and only 3 pounds. It has a full-size illuminated keyboard, which is terrific for working in a dimly lit car or on an airplane.

And I really love the trackpad, which works in much the same way as the Apple iPhone, giving you many more options by simply moving your fingers. [...] It’s a little difficult to photograph just how thin this MacBook Air is, but you can see for yourself by stopping at an Apple store or checking it out on line at www.apple.com.

Certainly sly celebrity endorsements are nothing new (there is a reason some celebrities are so often seen going in and out of Starbucks), but one would expect a bit more ingenuity from both Apple and Martha here.

Shill –noun. Slang.

1. a person who poses as a customer in order to decoy others into participating.

2. a person who publicizes or praises something or someone for reasons of self-interest, personal profit, or friendship or loyalty.

-- my two cents

Mark Cuban Bans a Blogger from Maverick's Locker Room

As we continue debating media access for bloggers, an ironic twist has come into play. Mark Cuban, a blogger himself, banned a blogger from the Maverick's locker room for having too much media credibility! Now there is a first!

Tim MacMahon, who writes a blog for the Dallas Morning News was denied entry to the Maverick's locker room over the weekend because of a new policy refusing access to writers whose "primary purpose is to blog."

On his blog today, Cuban says he's not coming down on the citizen journalist. He's calling out traditional media who send in bloggers, instead of feature writers, to get a jump on media companies that don't blog.

"What I didn't like was that the Dallas Morning News was getting a competitive advantage simply because they were the Dallas Morning News. Some out there will take this as my not 'liking' blogs. Ridiculous. its the exact opposite. What I don't like is unequal access. I'm all for bloggers getting the same access as mainstream media when possible. What I'm not a fan of is major media companies throwing their weight around thinking they should be treated differently."

The Dallas Morning News, however, claims this new ban is aimed at MacMahon, whom the paper says was asked to leave the locker room on February 29th after posting a piece that was critical of coach Avery Johnson. MacMahon has been blogging about the Mavericks for the Morning News since 2006.

Banned For Too Much Journalistic Credibility
Usually organizations ban bloggers for not having enough traditional media cred. But denying a major-media-backed blogger just because the Dallas Morning News could publish a story first? Well, that would be like telling TV networks they can't cover an event because they'd scoop print reporters. Or denying CNN an interview because 24/7 broadcasting gives them an unfair advantage over the networks!

Technology changes the game. Always has. Always will. Those who play smart, win. Certainly Mark Cuban, the man who created Broadcast.com, understands this. And, considering that bloggers have been beating traditional media to the punch for years now. Perhaps turnabout should be fair play here.

-- my two cents

Polk Awards: A Blogger and a Slain Editor Among Those Honored

The 2007 George Polk awards, informally known as the “Golden Globes of Journalism,” have been announced. Interestingly, a blogger (!) Joshua Micah Marshall of Talking Points Memo, was among those honored for his reporting on the US Attorney scandal that brought down Alberto Gonzales. Given my last post, this is an exceptional move toward accepting bloggers as real media.

Also noteworthy is the bittersweet recognition for slain editor Chauncey Bailey who was ambushed and shot while investigating the Black Muslim splinter group, Your Black Muslim Bakery. Seven men were arrested after Bailey's shooting on charges including fraud and kidnapping after a raid on the bakery. A bakery handyman has been charged in the slaying and is awaiting trial. A true hero, Bailey led a 37-year career in investigative journalism. Click here for more information on Bailey the story that cost him his life.

And, here for a complete list of Polk winners. Congratulations to all!

-- my two cents

Viral Marketing, Bloggers and Instant Celebrity

Today, I learned about John Fitzgerald Page. While I am loathe to contribute to his newfound Internet celebrity, the whole story is a fascinating study of viral marketing, the power of bloggers, and why people/marketers must embrace these new voices online. Therefore, please forgive me for adding another notch to this non-celebrity's publicity belt.

If you don’t know the story, here’s the skinny.

1. John Fitzgerald Page was/is on Match.com.

2. A woman “winked” at him.

3. He sent her a form-letter in which he boasted his accomplishments: high rise condo, Ivy League school, big money career, etc. He then asked her how much she weighs and if she works out regularly. (To his credit, he did acknowledge the rudeness of the inquiry.)

4. The woman clicked “no thanks” so Match.com sent him a polite note saying “thanks but we’re not a good match based on personality.”

5. Instead of leaving it at that. John sent her a nasty email stating that since she rejected him, she must be fat. He goes on at length to insult her and describe himself and his "caliber" including how much he can bench press.

6. She sent his email to a few friends. They sent it on to other friends and so on and so on…

7. Soon, the blog Gawker.com (which covers "media, gossip and pop culture") got a hold of it and ran the story.

8. It spread like wildfire with bloggers because well, let’s face it – his arrogance is funny and everyone loves a good villain.

9. Now, I always say, major media follow-the-lead of bloggers. True to form, soon the AJC, CNN, FoxNews, CBS and the NYT interviewed him.

Today, John is reveling in Internet stardom. He is releasing his own online videos, putting together book deals and a 20-city tour, all the while securing as much publicity as he can, while he can. He has even become an official escort selling dates for $250-$500 a pop proving in this age of hyper-voyeurism, anybody can be famous, if they want to be.

Certainly none of this is newsworthy. And, I do feel a bit smarmy talking about it here. But the whole story is another example of the speed of viral content online and why people/companies should embrace bloggers. As Target learned, bloggers have the luxury of writing what they want and with each blog linked to another blog, content moves like lightning.

So, bottom line: Bloggers can be a marketer/publicist's (and even a guy trying to find love) greatest advocate or greatest annoyance -- which one is entirely up to you and how much publicity you really want.

-- my two cents

New Media Equals New Voters

When I arrived at the polls yesterday morning, I was shocked by the massive crowd that had already assembled. As I took my place in line I was immediately swept up by the party atmosphere; the music, the shouting, the excitement…and the kids. For a split second I thought I was in a line for American Idol auditions or Hanna Montana tickets. Surely, these college students did not drag themselves out of bed at 7:45 in the morning to vote!

But, in fact, what I witnessed was seen across the country in nearly all 22 primaries held yesterday.

So why the surge in younger voters? Some could argue the issues drove kids to the polls yesterday. An unpopular war, for example, is a great motivator. But, then again, we were at war during the last election too and we didn’t see anywhere near these numbers. Since I was in for a long wait, I started chatting with the kids and was astonished to hear them talk about the candidates’ positions on major issues – in some cases they were better informed than I was.

Naturally, I wanted to know their sources. Of course, many of them referenced traditional outlets like CNN, NPR, and MTV’s Rock the Vote. But, then they started talking about new media. The more sites they named, the more I wondered how much of an impact social networking, viral marketing and blogs had to do with this re-energizing of the youth vote.

Technorati reports there are currently 542,343 blogs covering U.S. politics with more than 15,000 subscribers each. Likewise, a Google Blog Search for "U.S. politics" yields a list of 858,482 blogs and that number excludes those not linked to Google’s search engine.

But is it just blogging that brought kids to the polls?

Declare Yourself, a non-partisan youth voting initiative encompassing everything from viral videos, podcasts, text alerts and surveys to traditional on-campus visits, registered more than 250,000 voters for the 2008 campaign. The site also features links to social networks such as Facebook and MySpace.

And, speaking of social networking, Facebook introduced an application (co-sponsored with ABC News) where users have access to up-to-date political news, polls and video -- a full-media RSS feed, if you will. More than one million Facebook users added the application to their profile, and more than 300,000 have participated in at least one online debate group, according to a news release from Facebook.

Kids are also taking it upon themselves to make their voices heard with user-initiated Facebook groups started for each candidate, the largest being "One Million Strong For Obama," with more than 445,000 members. Not to be outdone, MySpace launched MySpace Impact, a Web site featuring links to candidates' profiles, as well as polling and registration information. It also includes featured blog posts from its users and boasts more than 334,761 members.

MTV – always a staple in youth voter registration – launched think.mtv.com which enlisted 23 amateur journalists to cover primary results with podcasts and blogs sent from their mobile phones. I love the genuine viewer-to-brand interaction this initiative creates and clearly, I'm not alone with nearly a million new voters registered through the site.

The Republican party is not without their own online intiatives. Mike Huckabee has tapped into youth culture with the popular Christian Web site, The Rebelution from which Huckabee enlisted The Harris Brothers who started Huck's Army, to organize grassroots efforts for Huckabee's campaign resulting in 100,000 members.

The result: Under-30 voter turnout yesterday was up 42 percent over the primaries of 2004, according to the AP. And, granted, it’s not scientific, but my little straw poll of the kids waiting in line with me yesterday all said they made their decisions based on what they found online.

So, once again, if you want to connect with the youth market – whether you’re selling soda, games, movies, toys, or freedom - you cannot afford to ignore new media.

-- my two cents

Target Tells Bloggers to Buzz Off

Today the New York Times reported a PR pro from Target told a Blogger the company does not respond to non-traditional media outlets. The story goes something like this:

1. Last week someone from Shaping Youth, a Blog that covers the impact of marketing on children, emailed Target’s PR team about a current ad.

2. The PR pro brushed off the Blogger saying they only talk to “traditional publications that reach our core guests.” The Blogger ran the story/editorial about the ad, along with Target's non-comment comment.

3. A Blogstorm quickly followed and continued throughout the weekend. Bloggers spread the word: Target doesn’t like Bloggers; Bloggers aren’t Target’s customer-base; Target is living in 1997.

4. Today, Monday morning, Target was forced to address both issues: the original concern about the ad and what they said about Bloggers when the New York Times picked up the story, which has been syndicated through the Associated Press.

The official Target spokeswoman, Amy von Walter, told the Times, “We do not work with Bloggers currently. Target’s policy is to focus limited resources on the big media outlets, like television stations and newspapers, which reach large numbers of shoppers. With a small public relations team, we want to make sure we are making an educated decision and we live up to any promises we make, in terms of service.”

Anyone who believes that Bloggers do not reach a large number of shoppers need only recall Dell Hell, a blog that became so popular it cost Dell its place as market leader. To this day, the company is still trying to rebuild its customer service image.

There is simply no more immediate way to spread information than the Blogger. Every one Blog is linked to other Blogs, which are linked to other Blogs, and like the old shampoo commercial goes…and so on ... and so on.

In fact, companies that embrace Bloggers (and PR pros who pitch them) often see a loyalty not found in a lot of traditional media. Bloggers have the luxury of writing what they want and they can be your most vocal advocate if you invite them in.

On the flip side, disrespecting Bloggers is the quickest way to invite their wrath, which Target has most assuredly done because, once again, Bloggers have the luxury of writing what they want.

The fact is: media are everywhere and they take all forms. The first thing I say on my web site is:

The Internet has democratized our media landscape. Through blogs, webzines, social networking and more, your customer now has a voice as loud as any traditional channel—perhaps even louder. In today’s world, your customer is the media. That’s why it’s never been more important to “speak media” fluently in terms of strategy, message and delivery.

And, as I’ve said before on this blog—a great number of Bloggers work for traditional media outlets, in addition to writing their own blog. This is part of the one-two punch in pitching a Blogger; you can get your story in front of two media channels at once. Similarly, in this day of 24/7 news, a lot of media search Blogs for leads, as we’ve seen with today’s New York Times.

So, let the lesson be loud and clear: Bloggers are media too! In fact, they are fast-becoming the most important media Target out there (pun intended).

-- my two cents

A Response From Jeff Gannon to My Blog

In my previous post, I discussed the seemingly increasing incidents of fake reporters, including the fake FEMA Press Conference; Columbia Picture's fake movie critic, David Manning; and Jeff Gannon outed as a phony White House correspondent in 2005.

Jeff emailed me yesterday asserting he is a real reporter and referenced his coverage of the White House for the Talon News Service. He argued that the notion he is not a real reporter is a myth perpetuated by biased bloggers.

While a search does yield a great number of blogged reports, there have been several articles by traditional media like Washington Post, the New York Times, the News & Record, CNN to name a few.

These reports state that the Talon News Service for which Jeff wrote is owned by the partisan Web site GOPUSA and that he was there to report the party line. (For a concise look at the accusations of Jeff's background, I'd recommend Media Matters, a non-partisan web site that covers misinformation in the media.)

I am not a journalist; I'm a publicist. But, since I'm so often on my soap box about journalistic integrity, I wanted to make sure I give a voice to both sides here. If anyone has anything else to add on this subject, please let me know.

Thanks for reading!