Kent State interns turn classroom lesson into social-media initiative

I’ve been intrigued by the social media news release since Todd Defren posted his first template in 2006. SMRs are versatile tools, especially for reaching consumer audiences. They incorporate audio, video and still photo components along with story information. And they allow for comments and bookmarking, making them truly interactive.

Plagiarism and other tomfoolery — You won’t believe this

Susan Getgood

Online pal Judy Gombita sent me a link to this post by popular blogger Susan Getgood. I’m not a regular at “Marketing Roadmaps,” but I am interested in issues of PR ethics, so I’m happy Judy passed it along.

In her post yesterday, Getgood tells us about a PR pitch that appears to have been plagiarized from another blogger’s post  — almost word-for-word.  That’s more than bad PR practice — that’s theft of intellectual property.

Things happen for a reason — even in PR

I’m not a religious person, but I am spiritual. I have a sense that someone or something is watching over me. I just don’t know what it is.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been so lucky in this life. I married the perfect woman, I have my dream job, and I win lots of stuff in raffles.

I also believe things happen for a reason. And one of those things just happened.

Three years ago, the 2.0 world was buzzin’ about ‘WalMarting Across America’

I cross posted this item at my new Posterous site — my latest 2.0 addiction. The event is significant enough to warrant broader coverage in the Sledzik Social Media Network. And I really need to get a life.

WalMarting Across America: Jim & Laura's Blog

Ah, the good old days.

It was Oct., 12, 2006, and my first month as a blogger when I came across this story in Business Week. It involved Jim and Laura and the fake blog called “Wal-Marting Across America.” The story became instant folklore in the 2.0 digital world of PR and marketing. I wrote about it here – three years ago yesterday.

Student blogs remain foundation of social-media lessons at Kent State

You’ll find 14 new links on my Kent State “Student Bloggers ’09″ box today (right column) — bright young minds discussing niche topics in public relations.

The assignment: Find an area of PR that excites you, explore it, write about it, then work to engage others in the discussion.

Is the exercise effective? We think so. I see passion in the posts, and I hear some online voices stretching beyond the shallowness of tweets and Facebook updates. Blogs require critical thinking and clear writing. Most other social-media tools do not.

FTC to blog scoundrels: We’re gonna nail you!

Yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission decreed that bloggers will tell the truth — or else! Secret blogola will not be tolerated.

In a nutshell, if you receive free products or other compensation in exchange for writing posts, you must disclose that compensation or face the consequences. Fines run as high as $11,000, reports say.