David Tebbutt tipped me off to great conversation (or do I mean slanging match) between Stowe Boyd and Shel Holtz over the last few days, triggered by a Boyd blog post and Shels subsequent comments. The topic in question is PR and the way blogging, social media, and todays Internet are changing the traditional approaches, including the humble press release. Stowes position is that its all about the conversation that you only get through the blog medium. I know many PR people who dont get it, but plenty who do, or are at least trying to. The conversation is fascinating, and Shels response to Stowe is a considered, PR experts view on the way the media landscape is changing.Â
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Stowes view of the traditional press release is pretty scathing:
My point is that people should drop much of the crap that defines press releases - third party voice, bullshit quotes that no one ever actually said, and so on.
Although theres a broad range of good and bad practice, I dont buy this attitude of all corporations speak with forked tongue. Shel answers much more elegantly, suggesting Stowe shouldnt be blaming the tool for the way it is used.Â
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Shel was obviously pretty stung by the Stowes you dont get it jibe. He says:
Disagreeing doesnt mean I dont get it. But more than that, I despise the dont get it fallback. It is a smug, smarmy, holier-than-thou and insulting phrase that has little meaning beyond self-righteousness. It cuts off discussion. It is a personal attack that is counterintuitive to the notion of conversation.
So, go and take a cursory glance at Stowes original post, although try and avoid getting tempted by any of the advertising. Then go and take a much longer and considered read of Shels response, and you might find out a little more about the current trends in new and old media, related to PR.Â
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Technorati Tags : Enterprise+Irregulars, Stowe+Boyd, Shel+Holtz, PR, Blogging, new+media, social+media
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