Blogger vs. Firmen: "Omnipräsenter Feind"

--- Richard Levick, der im Namen seiner eigenen PR-Firma schon schwere Fälle wie Napster, die katholische Kirche oder die Neuauszählung bei den Wahlen in Florida "betreute", warnt im Legal PR Bulletin vor konzertierten Blogger-Attacken gegen Firmen. Ein "virtueller omnipräsenter Feind" enstehe im Internet, auf den man sich einstellen müsse (der Jamba-Fall läßt grüßen):

Blogs by themselves should not give rise to fear. But when well coordinated they may be an early warning sign of things to come. Your client has to track them carefully to understand what may be in store. ... It is only a matter of time before blogs become commonplace weapons allowing well-organized adversaries to both disseminate and preserve shrewder anti-corporate messages. One recent blog, for example, attacks a plan by FedEx to build a hub at the Piedmont Triad Airport in Guilford County, North Carolina. Guilford County is a sprawling community that cannot easily convene town meetings to debate development projects. The blog is a natural substitute, especially for these typically computer-literate citizens. There’s also a local newspaper, the News & Record, that everybody reads and that can be counted on to inform its audience of the blog’s existence. The FedEx experience is illustrative for a larger reason as well. NGOs have often been marginalized as radicals. But because blogs are pure stealth warfare, people who might never choose to ally themselves with activists are more susceptible to their messages. After all, they don’t see their faces or know their real names. The NGOs are but one possible adversary. Labor unions and plaintiffs’ counsel are others. ... Success breeds growth. As the blogs get more hits, they grow broader and deeper. A wealth of resources is soon added to the page, such as op-ed pieces selectively posted to convey thirdparty imprimatur. The blogs then begin to look and feel legitimate. For reporters, they become useful sources of information even though they aren’t exactly impartial sources of information. Tactically, blogs pose far greater threats than any other kind of online attack.

"Pure Stealth Warfare", so, so. Gegenmaßnahmen hält Levick natürlich auch ein paar bereit. Passend dazu auch die Meldung, dass immer mehr Firmen von sich aus die Initiative ergreifen und eigene PR-Blogger anstellen, die ihr Haus in das bestmögliche Licht rücken. Links via PR Watch.

Dort auch gefunden: Neues vom Citizen (Open Source) Journalism: Kent Bye's "Echo Chamber Project" is attempting a new type of citizen journalism: an "open source, investigative documentary about the how the television news media became an uncritical echo chamber to the Executive Branch leading up to the war in Iraq." By "open source," Bye means that he is sharing both the transcripts and footage from his documentary with anyone who wants to use it or remix it with other footage as they see fit. He is also trying to "develop more sophisticated techniques for citizen journalism," include new software tools that will enable other collaborative efforts.

Und sonst: Neues Experiment zum Online-Wahlkampf: Electofix ist ein Wiki fürs kollektive Fact Checking der Wahlkampfaussagen der Politiker im Rennen um den neuen Bundestag. Auch die "sonstige Berichterstattung in den Medien" und Wahlblogs sollen kommentiert werden. Die Idee stammt von Tim Bonnemann. Via do-wire.

Auch von do-wire: Politics Online sucht die "Top 10 Who Are Changing the World of Internet and Politics".

Offene al-Qaida-Unterstützung in der Türkei: "[El] Kaide" Magazine Published Openly in Turkey. Herausgeber ist die "Great East Islamic Raiders Front".

Das Downing Street Memo jetzt auch in Lettre: Geheimsache Irak-Krieg. Ein Memorandum enthüllt das falsche Spiel mit Uno und Öffentlichkeit.