I don't know how you advertising people sleep at night. Seriously, truth is simply a maleable concept-- to be shaped into that which brings you and your clients the most money.

Thanks to ad agencies, we no longer know where art ends and commerce begins. The news is now just one long advertisemen too. Selling messages to the highest bidder.

So some of us have found shelter from your endless crap on the blogosphere. Yet, lured by your insatiable desire to make more fucking money, it seems you will come to the bloggers to find more novel ways to repackage your clients' crap.

Stay away, and tell your brethren to stay away too. We don't want your crap in the blogosphere. For pete's sake, it's everywhere else. Most notably, in the White House.

Richard

I actually believe the Edelman rhetoric around the relationship imperative.

I just don't think you're following through your own logic. There are 30 million bloggers out there, of whom you are one. How would you react to it?

Not well, I think.

Believing in the relationship imperative, surely means moving away from a pure advocacy model, to one where PR people are facilitators of conversations and mutual understanding between stakeholder groups.

They need to persuade, not dictate. Good PR people become trusted sources for media, and experts in their own right, not just spokespeople for single causes.

The adversarial relationship that exists between corporations and individuals needs defusing.

And the blogosphere is a great place to do it. But not if we carry the 'story-pitching' 'key messages' and 'sell-in' media baggage.

Engaging the blogosphere has a lot more in common with public affairs and CSR, than media relations. I wish the survey reflected that more closely.

TimK,

You are right. We need to move beyond a pitching mentality. When we publish our recommendations post this study this will be at top of list. Thanks for writing