Strive Notes

Well even Rupert Murdoch is catching on.  Monday night he gave a speech to The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers in London about how technology is shifting the power and the influence of the media away from publishers and editors to the actual consumers of the news and information. Well, I guess he can finally admit that this change is inevitable, now that News Corp has acquired MySpace, the social networking site. 

He is quoted on Brand Republic’s website as saying, “When high-speed broadband pipes TV and film onto enhanced computer screens at home, what happens to the television companies, the film studios and indeed newspapers?”

I’ll take the question a step further. How do we PR-types get our jobs done without having these traditional gatekeepers to target? The answer is in the problem.  Technology has profoundly changed the way people receive their news, information and entertainment (and we are at the thin end of the wedge).  And technology will also provide the tools PR practitionners use to reach our audiences via new gatekeepers or directly.

Web 2.0 applications will fundamentally change how we work, of this I am certain.  It’s happening all ready.  What will remain constant is the talent and skills we employ to tell our stories in a way that entertains, engages and educates the people we depend upon.  To stay at the top of our game, this year’s top priority for professional development and training must focus on Internet communications and Web 2.0 application training. That means Podcasting, syndication, blogs and wikis.  Are you ready?

 PS. BusinessWeek Online’s The Net’s New Age gives a great overview of the new apps and explains how they are changing news reporting and publishing.  It’s a good read.

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