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The dictionary defines '''blog''' (derived from weblog) as, "A website that displays in chronological order the postings by one or more individuals and usually has links to comments on specific postings."<ref>[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/blog blog], ''Dictionary.com'', accessed May 2008.</ref><ref>[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/weblog weblog], ''Dictionary.com'', accessed May 2008.</ref> [[Markos Moulitsas]] of the ''Daily Kos'' weblog has written an insightful article about how bloggers helped turn the perception of first [[U.S. presidential election, 2004|2004 Presidential election]] debate in favor of [[John Kerry]]. "Bloggers, [[think tanks]], the Kerry campaign and the [[Democratic National Committee]] (DNC) all worked to fact-check [[George Walker Bush|Bush ]] and point out his bizarre behaviour," he writes.[http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/markosmoulitsas/story/0,15139,1320053,00.html]
"The flow of information flowed two ways, as the party establishment and allied organisations worked hand-in-hand with the blogs to gather ammunition, then blast it out to the world. The DNC and bloggers also urged readers and supporters to swamp online polls after the debate, and they did. Hours after the debate, just about every online poll gave Kerry huge victories in the debate."
==Blogs Driving driving the Newsnews==
Commenting on the sentencing of [[Judith Miller]] in the outing of his wife, [[Valerie Plame]], as a [[CIA]] undercover operative, Ambassador [[Joseph Wilson]] had this to say July 6, 2005, about the role of blogging:
==Corporate blogging==
Declaring "a new milestone for the commercialization of blogs," ''AdAge.com'' reports that [[Sony ]] Consumer Electronics e-Solutions Group is paying $25,000 a month to be the exclusive sponsor of LifeHacker, a new weblog published by Gawker Media "about the software of personal gadgetry." Gawker blog readers are considered "prime influencers" or "connectors" on technology issues. "What Sony is paying for is reducing their odds that they look idiotic and increasing their odds that they hit a home run," explained Blogads.com founder Henry Copeland. But "ads can cheapen and compromise a blog," warned Carat Interactive's media director John Cate. [http://www.adage.com/news.cms?newsId=42453]
Corporations have begun hiring bloggers to put out their messages and to promote products, wrote Mary Jacobs in the ''Dallas Morning News''. Examples: "Stonyfield Farm Inc., a dairy products maker in Londonderry, N.H., hired a corporate blogger to write company-hosted blogs on nutrition and health as well as organic farming. [[Microsoft]] Corp. plans to hire bloggers to generate excitement about an upcoming product release. [[Electronic Data Systems (EDS)|Electronic Data Systems Corp. ]] of Plano last week launched its "Next Big Thing" blog at www.eds.com/blogs to discuss the future of technology." And [[Hill & Knowlton]], one of the world's largest PR firms, is encouraging its employees all to blog—after they pass a quiz. Question #1: "Why do you want to blog?" is multiple choice, with the following options for answers: a) Get promoted; b) Get noticed; c) Get fired; d) Get headhunted; e) All of the above; f) None of the above; g) I don't know. [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/careers/sales2/061905ccwcCareersSalesmain.2b0553b2.html]
In March 2006, news reports first appearing on blog sites and then in the ''New York Times'' and the ''Wall Street Journal'' revealed that via the [[Edelman]] PR firm [[Wal-Mart]] was using bloggers to promote their company. [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/07/technology/07blog.html]
== The PR Industry Goes Blog Watching industry goes blog watching ==
In April 2005, the PR company [[Edelman]] and the "marketing intelligence" firm [[Intelliseek]] released a directory of the most influential bloggers and a white paper detailing the importance of blogs to marketing and PR. The directory "profiles bloggers in business, consumer packaged goods, consumer technology, [[health care|healthcare]], and marketing and public relations," and also "gives advice on blogger behavior and jargon."
Noting IDI's new practice, journalist, author and grassroots journalism advocate [[Dan Gillmor]] wrote, "As eWeek [http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1759948,00.asp reported] in February, a subsidiary of the firm issued a report denouncing municipal wireless installations without making clear that big telecom firms, which vehemently oppose municipal wireless systems, are among the firm's chief funders. (See also Glenn Fleishman's '[http://wifinetnews.com/archives/004780.html sock puppets]' piece about this.) ... One of the imperatives in the emerging citizen journalism sphere will be to ferret out and tell readers about these techniques, in a systematic and lasting way." [http://dangillmor.typepad.com/dan_gillmor_on_grassroots/2005/04/blogger_relatio.html]
==PR Advice advice on Handling Activist Bloggershandling activist bloggers==
In an article posted to the ''Legal PR Bulletin'', [[Richard S. Levick]] of [[Levick Strategic Communications]] advises companies on how they can defend themselves against online critics. Levick warns: "It is only a matter of time before blogs become commonplace weapons allowing well-organized adversaries to both disseminate and preserve shrewder anti-corporate messages. One recent blog, for example, attacks a plan by [[FedEx ]] to build a hub at the Piedmont Triad Airport in Guilford County, North Carolina. Guilford County is a sprawling community that cannot easily convene town meetings to debate development projects. The blog is a natural substitute. ... The FedEx experience is illustrative for a larger reason as well. NGOs have often been marginalized as radicals. But because blogs are pure stealth warfare, people who might never choose to ally themselves with activists are more susceptible to their messages." And "NGOs are but one possible adversary. Labor unions and plaintiffs’ counsel are others. ... Tactically, blogs pose far greater threats than any other kind of online attack." [http://www.prandmarketing.com/legalpr/news_virtualomnipresent.html]
==RedState Blogger Boosts blogger boosts Wal-Mart For Bucksfor bucks==
PR giant [[Edelman]] has hired RedState.org blogger [[Michael Krempasky]] "for his ability to connect with conservative audiences," O'Dwyer's PR Daily reports. "Krempasky, on his site, refers to the Edelman gig as his 'day job' versus his blogging hobby. His first mission is to play up Wal-Mart Stores' contribution to [[Hurricane Katrina]]. The world's largest retailer, which had over $282 billion in sales last year, has donated a total of $17 million for hurricane relief and is opening up "mini Wal-Marts" in effected areas to distribute food, diapers, clothing, water and other items to those in need. According to Edelman, Krempasky's hire demonstrates the firm's "leading role in trying to harness the power of the blogosphere for its clients." [http://www.odwyerpr.com/members/0921edel_redstate.htm]
==Fake Bloggersbloggers==
Fake blogs—a form of [[viral marketing]] in which PR or [[advertising ]] agencies attempt to generate interest in their client's product by creating a fictional character on the internet—are drawing criticism from real bloggers. The [[Cohn & Wolfe]] PR firm had to apologize recently after "using a fictional character to leave a series of thinly veiled advertisements on blogs and other websites. A number of websites were hit last week with messages from Barry Scott," a fictional spokesman for a British household cleaning product. [http://www.plasticbag.org/archives/2005/10/an_apology_from_the_cillit_bang_team.shtml] [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1585687,00.html]
British blogger Tom Coates was especially outraged and called it "a new low for marketers" after he wrote an emotional account of his relationship with his father, and then received comment spam from "Barry Scott" disguised as condolences. [http://www.plasticbag.org/archives/2005/09/on_cillit_bang_and_a_new_low_for_marketers.shtml] Coates replied: "My view was that any right-thinking person would view trying to market your product on such a post as revolting, corrupt, cynical, disgusting, sick and dishonourable." According to some PR people, however, fake blogging is a good idea. [http://www.globalprblogweek.com/2005/09/19/taylor-fake-blogs/]
==Microsoft the Enforcerenforcer==
Microsoft shut down "a popular Chinese-language blog" by journalist Zhao Jing on December 30, on the grounds that it "has run edgy content potentially offensive to Chinese authorities." The blog "had criticized the government's firing of top editors at a progressive Beijing newspaper." Microsoft stated, "Most countries have laws and practices that require companies providing online services to make the internet safe for local users. ... In [[China]], local laws and practices require consideration of unique elements." Mr. Zhao's earlier blog, hosted by the Scottish company Blog-City, was also blocked for writing about another newspaper. The Chinese government requires bloggers to register and prohibits online postings that are "against state security and public interest." Last year, Yahoo helped identify another Chinese journalist now serving a 10-year prison sentence for emailing a secret government order; [http://www.prwatch.org/node/3969] Cisco Systems has sold web filter programs to Chinese authorities.
==Guides and Books books on Bloggingblogging==
*"[http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=542 Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents]", Reporters Without Borders, September 2005.
==Resources=====Related SourceWatch Resourcesresources===
*[[Astroturf blogging]]
*[[Blogs]]
*[[pro-war in Iraq bloggers]]
===References===<references/> ===External links===
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splog "splog"] in the ''[[Wikipedia]]''.
*Markos Moulitsas, "[http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/markosmoulitsas/story/0,15139,1320053,00.html In a spin]", ''Guardian'', (UK), October 5, 2004.
*Paul Farhi, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/08/AR2006080801431.html "Blogger Takes Aim At News Media and Makes a Direct Hit,"] ''Washington Post'', August 9, 2006. Also see Matt O., [http://thegreatsociety.blogsome.com/right-wing-racists/lgf "The 'Responsible' Debate and Political Discourse of Little Green Footballs,"] ''The Great Society'' Blog, Updated August 9, 2006. re [[Little Green Footballs]]
[[Category:Blogging and Bloggers]][[Category:Internet]][[Category:Media]][[Category:Blogging and BloggersPublic relations techniques]]
