By:  Jessica M. Hunt

Let me tell you a story that you more than likely will not believe. My boss is always reminding me that I need to engage myself in more professional development opportunities. “You need to get out the office,” is what she always says. My reply is always the same, “I don’t have time to get out of the office, there is work to be done here.” Noticing my reluctance, Darci made life even easier by finding a seminar for me (some boss aye?). Thanks to the guys over at the Public Relations Society of America I was being shipped off to sunny San Francisco, California. Now, here is the part you won’t believe…..I DID NOT WANT TO GO. I know, I know crazy right? I hate to fly (5 hour flight with lay over –ugh) and I had never traveled so far alone. But, never the less, I packed my bags, prepared for airport security and set out to continue my journey on the relationship between new media and public relations.

I did some research amongst my peers who had experienced tons of business travel and training seminars. The report was exactly the same: Stay awake in the seminar and try to get yourself a good dinner. What a great way to get excited! (I’m being sarcastic). On July 26, 2008 at UCSF Mission Bay I prepared myself for the worst. What I experienced that day was overwhelming, virtually unheard of; the seminar was awesome! I have so much to tell you guys about!

Right away, there were three points that stood out for me: The front page of the newspaper is becoming less and less important; more people view Google daily; and it is dangerous to measure new media standards by traditional ones. So, the question looms, how do we infiltrate the on-line media community? The easiest place to start is right here….blogging. Think of a blog as your very on web diary, or online conversation. I know you’re thinking, what place does a blog have in corporate America? If you haven’t realized it yet, your employees are your best word of mouthers! No one can sell the company quite like those who work there. They have an open invitation to the new media party, give them an extra hour for lunch, so they can attend. As public relations professionals, we are not welcome in the blogosphere. The idea is we are paid to be there, while you are there because you are passionate and you can’t buy passion.

I believe that blogger relations are at the heart of new media’s existence. We are given the opportunity to listen in on what others have to say about our field. Not only can we listen, but we can participate with our peers all around the world, engaging their views, opinions and ideas. Often times, blogging is effective crisis management, setting the record straight. Finally, blogging humanizes the company. By giving employees a voice, the stereotypical corporate America is softened.

I most certainly could go on and on about this subject, we have only scratched the surface. Instead I’ll give you a little homework. Google key words in your field and compare the number of blogs you find verses other traditional forms of media. The results might surprise you!