Corporate America has discovered a phenomenon of "blogs", "message boards" and other "digital influencers". They are very afraid. http://ad-rag.com/114820.php (PR client) is a market intelligence and media analysis services firm. (PR client) is working with F1000 companies who are using our services to Manage and Monitor Digital Influencers (such as blogs, message boards, user groups, complaint sites, etc.) as an intelligence and threat awareness tool. (Person's name), CEO could talk to you about 'What F1000 Companies are doing to take action against bloggers' and 'How companies are taking steps to protect their corporate reputations from bloggers/digital influencers.' Meanwhile, NY Times is reporting that a lot of these "web logs", or "blogs", are devoted to politics and are often vicious critics of the mainstream press! http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/28/politics/campaign/28blog.html I forgot what my point was, but it's just amusing to watch the mainstream media and large corporations have no idea how to deal with the blogosphere - "Do we ignore them? Are they that influential? Can we shut them up?"
I, for one, am willing to accept a bribe to shut up. Oh damn, now there is a lucrative business idea. Manipulation of blogs to sway the influence they may or may not exert. If nothing else, it might be possible to get a **** load of money based on the premise, only to conclude it won't work. Like the dotcom investment policy. Who's coming with me?
This isn't anything that companies haven't done in the past to protect their reputations from the mainstream media. I don't see anything new here. The self-aggrandizing bloggers like to imagine that the NY Times and other established media giants are afraid of the blogosphere. And I suppose the Times and others are seeing a drop in circulation. But the media giants would be better served by ridiculing some of the crap that passes for analysis in blogland like this post on Daily Kos. Some yahoo in Nevada tells Kos someone pulled a fire alarm at a majority African-American polling place and that the people had to stand outside for 9 whole minutes (Travesty!) Of course, Kos screams "Voter suppression!" with absolutely no evidence.
To be fair, the journalists are people too ("Awww") and must not enjoy amateurs criticizing their work in very personal ways.
Let us not forget that the class nerds turned to journalism and now are out to prove that the pen IS mightier than the sword..! Or the power of an atomic wedgie!