PR Week leader

I’ve been away for a few days, hence the lateness of the post, but I can’t go any further in the week without acknowledging the extraordinary editorial in the current issue of PR Week UK.

With his "New media channels reach tipping point" article, editor Daniel Rogers has shown that he’s been listening to his readers, has read the market right and is showing something our sector needs very much: leadership in pushing forward the debate about how to respond to the opportunities and challenges presented to it by the social media age.

He was even sufficiently convinced by the impact that social computing has been having on the PR industry already to use the R-word and call it what it is: a revolution.

For those of you unable to get a copy or a password for the website, here are some edited highlights:

….we must move ahead rather than turn off to the side. Back in 1999, the traditional media tried to recreate their formats online, with little understanding of how consumption of content was changing.

….Convergence and interactivity, much talked about but rarely achieved in the last tech boom, are becoming a reality.

….PR professionals are being forced to adapt… as business leaders and politicians demand new ways to evaluate, influence, or simply cope with, the wild west of news and opinion that the internet has become.

From a marketing point of view, technology is generating growth within the PR industry itself. The tech PR consultancy business feels dynamic, while generalist consultancies are securing lucrative work from tech manufacturers, mobile operators and a new wave of dotcoms such as MySpace.

….Like other content brands and comms professionals, PRWeek does not claim to have all the answers, but we certainly aim to embrace the debate with gusto.

Mr Rogers also said that his magazine’s awards would include a category for best use of new media. Great stuff.

PR Week UK just ratcheted itself up several notches in my estimation. I really look forward to seeing it "embrace the debate" in the coming weeks and months.

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