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This is a bit of ‘old’ news for the ‘hard core’ Social Mediarists amongst us, but I figured that everyone could have a good laugh at CNN’s expense.

As Gawker points out,

Chez Pazienza, fired from CNN six months ago for his blogging, would “really like to let the subject of my untimely dismissal from CNN go once and for all.”

Instead, he has somehow gotten hold of CNN’s new blogging guidelines [chortle, chortle]. Yes, those guidelines:

“You know, the policy they didn’t have in place when they made the decision to fire me and a few others like me, and the one that I’ve openly criticized them for neglecting to enact and clarify?”

Herewith, for your education and enlightenment, a cutting from CNN’s Social Media policy (in full here):

We’ve gotten a number of questions from CNN staff wanting clarification of CNN policy on communicating publicly about our work, or on news or public affairs — on the internet. In Blogs. In Chatrooms. On video sharing sites. On social networking sites.

Below are some of the typical questions — and our answers. We hope this is helpful to everyone,

After reading — please don’t hesitate to call or email anyone at Standards and Practices if you have further questions. (See contact info below).

MOST IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER:

UNLESS GIVEN PERMISSION BY CNN MANAGEMENT, CNN EMPLOYEES ARE TO AVOID TAKING PUBLIC POSITIONS ON THE ISSUES AND PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS ON WHICH WE REPORT.

The best rule of thumb is, keep in mind whether what you are doing or saying is “in public.” In most cases, what you write online is public or can be made public.

CAN I COMMENT IN A CHAT ROOM?

It depends on what you’re commenting on. A chat room is, of course, a public place. If you identify yourself, or could in any way be identified, then you should not comment on anything CNN reports on. Remember, even though you don’t say who you are, someone else might reveal your identity. AND if you’re discussing things that are in the news, keep in mind you could be seen as representing CNN, and therefore you should not comment on the issues CNN covers.

HOW ABOUT MYSPACE, FACEBOOK OR OTHER SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES?

Again, on these sites only write about something CNN would not report on. Don’t list preferences regarding political parties or newsmakers that are the subject of CNN reporting. Local issues that CNN wouldn’t report on would be OK. And of course private communication with friends or family about issues that aren’t in the news is fine. If you are not sure, ask your supervisor or S&P for parameters on posting. (S&P contact info is listed below).

Also keep in mind that you should not be commenting or writing about what goes on in the workplace at CNN without specific approval by CNN senior managers. For example, in some cases there have and will be exceptions made to have some staff get information out to an outside audience on platforms like Twitter about our upcoming coverage plans.

But without those approved exceptions, your workplace activity is proprietary and so you should not be writing on these sites about what goes on behind the scenes here at CNN.

CAN I POST MY WORK ON YOUTUBE, PODCASTS OR OTHER VIDEO SHARING SITES?

You should not post any CNN material online unless it is approved. Likewise, if you make a short video on your own time, if there’s any question about it being something that CNN might air, first ask someone before posting it. And again, if the subject touches on anything you might cover or CNN reports or may report on, you should likely stay away from it. If it is a close call, ask your supervisor or S&P.

HOW ABOUT SECOND LIFE?

CNN’ers are encouraged to visit Second Life, just keep in mind it’s a public place and the same rules (listed above) apply as they would to “real” public life.

CAN I HAVE MY OWN WEBSITE OR BLOG?

Yes. But you should notify your supervisor about it, to have it cleared as a non-conflict for your work. Your supervisor may choose to then have it cleared at another level or by S&P. And again, you shouldn’t post commentary on anything you might cover in your work or CNN may report on, or write about the CNN workplace or post CNN material without permission by a senior CNN manager.

WHAT ABOUT FREELANCE EMPLOYEES AND INTERNS?

Supervisors should make sure freelancers and interns read this policy now — or on their first day going forward — and commit to following it.

In case you missed it: “And again, you shouldn’t post commentary on anything you might cover in your work or CNN may report on, or write about the CNN workplace or post CNN material without permission by a senior CNN manager.” Well, that’s just about everything, then.

You have been warned.

Anyone still want to work for them?

Filed under: PR, Second Life, Second Life & 3D virtual worlds, blogging, podcasting, politics, public speaking, tools, videoblog
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This has been a-mullin’ and a-musin’ around in what some laughably call my brain for a little while now.

My friend and colleague-in-arms Trevor Cook wrote an op-ed piece for the ABC’s ‘Unleashed’ site about the seeming death of social media in Australia. Robert X. Cringely argued that Social Media is just CB Radio by another name.

Trevor argues that the Australian blogosphere, or the larger ‘Social Media’ environment in Australia, is not so much dying for a lack of trying but that it is exhausted from burning too many candles at both ends and starving to death from a lack of income.

As a meme this is nothing new — we’ve been around this particular park before. But Trevor makes some compelling points in his piece:

"In those heady days, American online gurus Shel Israel and Robert Scoble rallied the believers with "Naked Conversations", a dewy-eyed book-length version of the geek vision-splendid. But last week, Israel blogged a more sobering update:

"There seems to be a growing sense that social media just ain’t what it used to be that it too, is starting to emerge as yet another wasteland for product pushers and shameless self promoters."

"As social networks get bigger they lose their cosy clubbiness and can feel more like a business networking function where ‘product pushers’ keep crashing your conversations or snubbing you in favour of more popular attendees."

Very true.

Trevor goes on to quote arguably Australia’s most successful blogger, Darren Rowse:

"…when I first started blogging (it’ll be six years ago later in the year) there was a real community spirit among bloggers and the idea of bloggers helping bloggers was something most people seemed to embrace.

The blogosphere is a different place now in many ways. For starters there are a lot more blogs. There is almost a bigger focus upon blogging as a business tool and the idea of making money online in general."

But whilst I agree with Darren and Trevor that the communitarian spirit of blogging is potentially slipping away due to a lack of time available to focus on it, I think Darren is also being gently ambidextrous; after all, B5media (the blogging network he helped form) was created entirely to make money ("blogging for benjamins" as my main man Jenkins so eruditely puts it), and Darren has no shortage of adverts on his site (nor do I, either — we both need to eat).

And let us not forget that my own research is based on the premise that it is the solo entrepreneurs who define any new communication space and find ways of making money out of it.

But back to the issue of Aussie Social Media’s death…

Steven Lewis highlights what I and Allan Jenkins found over eighteen months ago — that podcasting is hard work. Goodness knows how Shel and Neville still manage to do it!

Time was when I had plenty of time to read my feeds of a morning and keep up a daily conversation with Trevor via our blogs. These days I’m so busy I barely have time to read my favourite authors (and he is one) more than once or twice a week. I haven’t listened to a single podcast in well over three months.

Josh Hallett wrote about the lack of time almost exactly a year ago:

"I used to blog quite a bit in what could loosely be termed the ‘thought leadership’ vein….that was commentary on this evolving world of social media. It was great for business development, but then I ended up getting busy, too busy to blog :-)"

One of his commenters agreed:

"Completely empathize with you. I had dinner tonight with an old blogging friend and we talked about how tired we are of "blogs" being this term of wonderment. We can hardly find time to read our favorite blogs, let alone update ours anymore, because we are scanning facebook, checking our Twitter and working like crazy. We reminisced about the old days of Diaryland. Those were the first blogs, where we had our first glimpse at what life was like for someone else just like us, but across the country or around the world. It was so excited to read the daily life of someone in Canada or Sweden! Now, it’s all old hat…Now, it’s our work!"

I find this dilemma in my own professional/academic life.

I am taking time out to re-skill in what I believe will be an important development or ‘next stage’ of the internet: the 3d virtual web. I am supposed to be blogging intensely about my research as part of my research (I know that’s a tautology, but I’m using a method that I have named autoethnetnography).

But to keep the biggest wolves from the door I still have to earn some money, and consulting work is the most lucrative and where I derive the most self-actualising ‘kicks’. However, to maintain a ‘profile’ within the Australian social media space I need to continue posting on this blog, otherwise my readership goes down and with it my Technorati authority.

Okay, we shall leave aside all discussions on which metric is ‘best’ for the moment. Let us assume that ‘less blogging = less exposure’ amongst conference organisers and seminar/workshop designers.

As an example of this, there will shortly be a major Marketing Conference here in Adelaide where some of the sessions are on areas that I believe I have much to contribute (perhaps more than the actual speaker). But I was not even on the radar of the organisers, despite thinking (perhaps delusionally*) that I sit in the Marcomms space.

Conversely, a roadshow conference for senior HR managers and directors approached me to talk about social media — I never would have thought I’d be on the radar of HR people! And judging by the one big burning question that delegates to my seminars and workshops always have, there’s seemingly no shortage of interest in the perennial question of how to get Social Media onto the radar of CEOs and the ROI issue past the CFOs and bean counters.

Thus the paradox: to ensure that I can continue to research and study I need to earn occasional dollars, of which consulting in ‘Social Media’ is the most enjoyable, both for me and my audiences (judging by the feedback I receive).

But to earn those dollars I need to continue blogging, which takes time and effort (particularly time). If, as Trevor suggests, we are merely muttering in an echo chamber, then should I not bother anymore and instead devote my time to my studies?

Trevor, who like me is also conducting doctoral research, still finds time to think and write (but then again I still had plenty of time on my hands in my first year; it’s the second year of the program that really sucks your time up, according to colleagues further along the research track than I).

There is also the research that shows that blogging can help those afflicted with depression.

If I stopped blogging here except for the occasional post, would anyone miss me? Would I be forgotten? Allan Jenkins hasn’t posted anything in months, but does my desire to read him diminish over time? Certainly not. His is still the first of the feeds I check when I eventually *do* get to read my feeds.

Would I be better off focusing on my research and repositioning myself for the next wave of internet communication (with my hopes pinned on the coat-tails of the Web3D Consortium)?

I have noticed an increase in interest (albeit small) in Second Life again — I’m getting more emails from SME organisations wanting to know more about it and interesting requests to present about it.

I don’t know what the answer is; I don’t know if the answer will remain the same in twelve months’ time as it might be now. Trevor and I arguably set the agenda for PR practitioners and agencies in Australia and perhaps now is an apt time to hand the reins over to a new generation of PR-focused bloggers while we busy ourselves with pursuits of a slightly different nature. Your thoughts, Trev?

Note: this post, including the images, took over four hours to research, write and edit.

And the reference to the ShinyWeb2.0Desk™ in the image at the top of this post is a homage to the wonderful huh?corp and duhcorp satirical sites.

——————-

*The teenage child of a dear friend has just been diagnosed as schizophrenic, so I have been reading up on the condition. One of the effects is delusions — perhaps of grandeur, perhaps of paranoia. Maybe *I* am schizophrenic? And "No", I am most definitely NOT belittling the condition!

Filed under: PR, Second Life, Second Life & 3D virtual worlds, academic research, blogging, marketing, micro-blogging, podcasting, public speaking, videoblog
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My good friend the Divine Miss M, aka Heidi Miller, recently pointed out that there is a potential hierarchy of communication skills required in social media.

Referencing an article by the big bad bald man in black Mitch Joel, Heidi agreed with Mitch’s argument that blogging as an entity will not be killed off by Twitter-like micro-blogging.

I agree, and for additional reasons to the ones that Heidi & Mitch give.

For me (here and here Heidi is spot on, albeit that the latter is from a later post), the ‘passion’ is the key to whatever vehicle you choose to use. Those of us who feel natural behind a keyboard and ‘at home’ with long-form text will continue to compose to suit the blogging format. Especially those who love including “offbeat 50s images” in their posts [ a loving tip of the Akubra to you, Miss Heidi ].

Those, like Heidi, whose preferred communication style is to talk, will continue to excel at podcasting and vidcasting.

Those, like @JJProjects, who prefer the rapid machine-gun rapport of micro-blogging will continue to Twitter and show their mastery of their weapon of choice.

The important point for us is that we use the tool that most suits us and our style.

Just as there’s no point trying to get a non-communicative CEO to start blogging, there’s no point trying to use a tool and channel that uses skills not ordinarily part of your personal repertoire.

Naturally, there is nothing wrong with stretching, growing, developing, and adopting new skills. But be honest with yourself — if you don’t have the time and the self-esteem to vidblog (bearing in mind that video blogging can take ages to get right, far longer than text blogging or audio podcasting) then don’t commit yourself to it and your audience to expect it.

As one of the signs I have hanging on the walls here at BetterComms Towers says, “You don’t know what you can’t do until you try”, but be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses when you first attempt to enter this brave new communication landscape.

Once you feel comfortable with one tool/channel, then branch out and try something new. Okay? And let me know how you get on…

Filed under: blogging, ethics, micro-blogging, podcasting, tools, videoblog
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Our very own (as in ‘lives in Adelaide, Australia’) blogging femme fatale, the fabulous Shai Coggins, has been nominated 11th most influential female blogger by the team at North x East.

The list includes luminaries from many fields and despite its white, US-centric focus the point of the list is to prove that blogging is no longer just a club for tech-friendly white males.

Hat tip to Dan York for picking this up.

Filed under: blogging, clippings
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The rather clever Jasmin Tragas reminded me yesterday that even though it’s a new communication landscape, we bring to it our old, ingrained habits.

To wit: I often add pictures to my blog posts; usually these pictures are mashups of retro images and text, but every now and then I use pictures of attractive young women. Not without reason and to support a point I am making in that post, but they are young, attractive and female.

Jasmin pointed out that she very occasionally (i.e. hardly ever but at least once in a blue moon) forwards my emails on to higher/other management. Some of those images might not be wholly suitable for such distribution.

Because Jasmin works at IBM in a senior role that means other key people in the tech-comms world.

But I confess right here, right now, that the thought that someone would forward a post of mine to others simply never occurred to me. Honestly. Not even on my radar.

By letting me know that she occasionally does forward a post, Jasmin reminded me that even though this is a new communication landscape we still behave in ways that we are comfortable with.

So posts will still get forwarded, just like emails have been forwarded around the world since emails began.

And just as forwarded emails have the potential to attract all sorts of unwanted consequences, so too with forwarded posts.

Notes to self:

1. treat my readers with more respect

2. treat myself with more gravitas — sometimes being a ‘work from home office’ (step-)parent of teenagers, without the daily conversations with peers that an office-based role brings, means that your own self-esteem takes a hammering and you forget that other people might actually be interested in what you have to say

3. thank Jasmin publicly for taking the time and risk to contact me privately about it via Twitter

4. wish Jasmin a very happy 1st birthday for her WonderWebby blog

5. work harder at deserving to be on to her ‘wonderpeeps’ blogroll

Filed under: PR, blogging, customer service, ethics, marketing, nonverbal communication
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And it’s not just me who says it!

An email from Ragan advertising the legendary Steve Crescenzo says so, too!

Best blog practices

Tuesday, July 29, 2008 • 3-4:30 p.m. Eastern • With Steve Crescenzo

Use Preferred Customer Code TEPN2 for special $309 pricing.

Learn how blogs fit in with your overall strategic communication plan, and how to integrate blogs with your other communication vehicles

Steve Crescenzo, Crescenzo Communications can show you. In this dynamic, 90-minute Webinar, you’ll learn:

• What makes for a successful blog … And how you can duplicate that success within your own organization.
• Three roles that the modern communicator can play when it comes to blogging.
• How to convince management that blogging can help the organization achieve its business goals.
• And so much more!

Visit our Web site to learn more!*

*Don’t forget to mention your Preferred Customer Code TEPN2 for special $309 pricing!

Can’t attend the Webinar on the scheduled date?
Order a CD recording of this event. This CD includes all presentation handouts.

Naturally I assume that Steve C and Mark Ragan had this blog in mind when shaping their message and will use it as an exemplar!

Filed under: blogging, humour, marketing, miscellaneous, tools
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Gavin Heaton raises an important point over on his blog: that ‘expert’ is a very meaning-ridden word.

We are living in a time where the acquisition of knowledge is occurring at ever increasing speed. Thanks to search engines like Google and to personal knowledge networks like Twitter, we can all find, relatively quickly a preliminary answer to the trickiest of problems. For example, if I want to know how to write a social media release, I will find good quality links to Todd Defren, Lee Hopkins, a case study by Geoff Livingston and even a webinar by Des Walsh. I could also comb back through my own del.icio.us bookmarks (or those of others), or I could reach out to my personal knowledge network (aka Twitter) — or just enlist the charming Connie Reece.

None of this makes me an expert.

Gavin goes on to say,

How then can I, in all honesty, advise clients/companies/ anyone about "social media"?

What I do have is experience, access to people who are way smarter than me, an openness to learning new things and an ability to bear a certain amount of risk. I try before I buy. Oh, and I have failed, and even embarrassed myself.

I claim no expertise in social media … I am continually learning too much (and working on shifting ground) to consider myself anything other than a charlatan. And I have taken the words of Connie Reece to heart — "If someone tells you they are a social media expert, run".

Now, I personally don’t agree with Connie on this point (and as Connie is a very skilfull communicator herself and one who I would call an ‘expert’ she knows that we agree to disagree on this, but still adore each other’s minds and wisdom).

I think being an ‘expert’ is no great ‘con’, as Gavin and Connie would say.

But I agree that the word ‘expert’ can be bandied about with complete abandon and recklessness of ethic.

If someone comes to you proclaiming ‘expertise’ in anything, please please please do your homework.

Read their blog (assuming they have one), listen to their podcasts, google them, find out who links to them and who they link to (who you keep company with says much about you).

And as for Gavin, I respect him immensely for both his writing skills and his honesty. He’s one of those rare folks with whom I’d enjoy sharing some of Sydney’s finest coffee.

Filed under: PR, blogging, customer service, ethics, podcasting, videoblog
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The NAB PR fiasco that I blogged about earlier in the week has still got ‘legs’, as they say in the football world (allegedly).

My good friend Gerry McCusker was finally granted an interview with the PR agency responsible (Cox Inall, who “coxed it up good an’ proper-like”).

As I have been banging on for a good few years now:

The communication landscape has changed!

As Hewlett Packard have just found out (tip of the battered Akubra to Gerry), ’social media’ means that your ‘little old audience’ is potentially no longer little. Nor silent. Nor acquiescent.

For goodness sake, put your egos aside and think about what is best in the long term for your business or your client’s business. If you or your agency doesn’t have the expertise involved do not be afraid to call in an expert. That’s what Clarity Communications in Perth has done with me, and I applaud their foresightedness and ethical responsibility to their clients.

As Gerry points out, it is now YOUR responsibility to check if we are recording our interviews with you, and in what form we may or may not publish them.

I strongly recommend you read Text100’s excellent survey on the blogosphere and how blogger relations should now be a definitive part of your strategy, be you client or agency.

Take note:

• The Social Media News Release [video introduction to SMNR] is key to gaining our respect. Use it, or lose it
• We want to be treated professionally, not just as an electronic deposit box for your endless releases
• We want to build up a long-term relationship with you, Mr/Ms Agency, therefore please start a conversation with us before you hammer our inboxes
• Be a part of the blogging community that you wish to engage with. If you don’t know who and what the key players and key issues are, we won’t take you seriously. And that goes for Twitter, too, as Nic Hac quite rightly points out

Several years ago Seth Godin wrote Permission Marketing. It was a book that I devoured and tried to encourage clients of mine to read — none of them could be bothered.

Please don’t make that mistake yourself. Nip down to Dymocks, or order it at Amazon. Read. Inhale. Or hire me, or Trevor Cook, or Laurel Papworth, or Stephen Collins or Gerry McCusker.

Permission Marketing : Turning Strangers Into Friends And Friends Into Customers: Seth Godin

Filed under: PR, blogging, customer service, ethics, marketing, micro-blogging, tools
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