OPEN

"I
regard the blogosphere as a source of criticism that must be listened to and as
a source of information that can be used.

So says BBC World Affairs
correspondent, Paul Reynolds, in an article describing
bloggers respectfully as an army of irregulars*, citing many examples where blogs
have become a valuable resource for journalists looking for information or
insights into a situation from people close to or highly informed about it.

He
also discusses blogs that attack the BBC for perceived bias, and carries an
interesting quote from Richard Sambrook:

"The
BBC should proactively engage with bloggers. This is a new issue for us. Some
departments look at blogs, though haphazardly. But it pays dividends. The BBC
is a huge impersonal organisation. It needs to come out from under its
rock," he says.

As
for using blogs as a source he says: "The key is careful attribution. It
would be a big mistake for the MSM** to try to match the blogs, but they can
teach us lessons about openness and honesty. The MSM should concentrate on what
it can do – explain, analyse and verify."

Openness
and honesty. It may be idealistic, but despite applying my own most cynical
point of view of the topic, I still remain convinced that these are values
which will need to become evident in corporate communications as it engages with social media.

(Thanks
to Ben Evetts for the link to this story…)

* After the Baker Street Irregulars the crime fighting urchins from the Sherlock Holmes stories. That’s us bloggers alright…
** MSM = Mainstream Media