Introducing the social media newsroom

Robert French wishes those who enthuse over blogs as a replacement for traditional channels of communication would study the issue before talking as though they have been practitioners for years.

I have to confess to surprise at a statement made by Robert French at a geek dinner in Atlanta recently. Robert teaches public relations at Auburn University where he requires his students to blog; he insists that they understand the role the conversation plays in organizational communication. But he also understands the scope of the communication landscape, and said that he wished those who enthuse over blogs as a replacement for traditional channels of communication (i.e., press releases) would study the issue before talking as though they have been practitioners for years. He is not telling anybody to shut up; he only wishes they would gather some facts before making unreasonable recommendations.