Now, I have it. Simple, yet functional.

For our fall classes, we have created a new site: The Loveliest Village Newsroom. This is part of a larger site where students will be posting news and feature stories they will write and produce (audio and video) during the semester. The Loveliest Village utilizes blogs, a wiki, Flickr, del.icio.us and is intended to provide experiential learning.

I am looking for some help with this project, if any of you are interested. A skilled coder/developer willing to help adapt the structured blogging plugin will be particularly useful. The version I have modified will work, but it can be more fully developed.

Our newsroom will utilize WordPress and various plugins, including: Structured Blogging, podPress, WP Notable, WP Print, WP Lightbox JS 2 and Ultimate Tag Warrior. All of those will combine to allow posting releases featuring the major elements of a social media release (PDF) similar to the one suggested by Todd Defren.

Using this WordPress implementation, the posting will still require the use of code. This file of HTML/CSS code is one example of how we will accomplish the format.

This zip file is the adaptation I made to the showcase-person.xml file within the structured blogging plugin.

Overall, this is a simple modification, but it allows us to practice (a) HTML, (b) CSS, (c) writing skills, and (d) creating social media releases.

I have two primary reasons for doing this. First, I want to have a process by which my students may practice the various principles we are studying – writing and production (HTML, CSS, graphics, layout). Second, I would like for them to have a leg up on understanding the social media release upon graduation. We are still blogging and commenting, by the way.

I’ll write more later. I hope to have some very exciting news to share later this week.

Update: After doing all of this, I went over to listen to the latest (Sept. 4) edition of Social Media Club’s Social Media Cast 0.2 with Shel Holtz (FIR), Chris Heuer and Brian Solis. In that podcast, the group discusses how some corporations are considering doing their releases through a blog due to the high costs associated with doing it at one of the major press release distribution services. So, this is quite interesting. I believe that a modified WordPress or MT site can accomplish this process. Of course, the blogs won’t have the reach that one gains from services like PRNewsire or Business Wire, but it does reach the search engines.

Given the Social Media Club’s work on developing standards for such releases, we will be watching their work with interest.

But, whatever we wish to call all of this, below you will see some of the applications that interest me.

There is the list from Baris Karadogan and then three links to some new software, or Ajaxy sites, that seem pretty cool. They likely have some niche applications, but not too sure about broad adoption / usage. Still, fun to look at.

• Web 2.0 Companies
  A list of Web 2.0 companies from the blog “From Istanbul To Sand Hill Road” by Baris Karadogan.
  (tags: calendar calendars)
• Bitty Browser Home Page — Picture-in-Picture for the Web
• Blurb Book Types Cook Book
• SkyLook :: Skype plugin

The campaign includes two blogs and a customized/branded RSS reader that you can download.

The blogs are Red Cross Media Alerts and Jefferson County EMA Media Alerts. Also, check out Ike’s version of a branded RSS reader. That is just one of many ways you could accomplish this neat little freebie. During an emergency situation, I can imagine some news people launching this to keep track of new posts.

I like this for several reasons. First, news outlets always want these Red Cross and EMA alerts. Many news outlets have not engaged in RSS and this is a way to turn them on to it easily.

Second, using Blogger (as Ike has) the sites are free. Any free hosted service will do. Perhaps this will spur other nonprofits into the blogosphere. Later on, they may start a blog from within their ranks – beyond news releases and alerts, after seeing how easy it can be to publish. Blogs are an easy way to tell your organization’s story.

Third – and Ike, this is where my students will love you – the branded RSS reader is so cool I’m going to require they make one as part of their final project.

Yes, I know some will say that RSS readers are everywhere and why would someone want your branded version. Well, if they have not adopted RSS and you are the one that gets them started, they may well keep your branded version for awhile. That means each time they start the reader (which you can add other feeds to, as well) they will see your logo and info. Now what is wrong with that? The effort to make one is so minimal that the real question might be “Why not make one?”

Finally, Ike is helping nonprofits get into new media and that is laudable. His efforts are also in line with the ideals behind Operation Link Love where we are trying to find examples of nonprofit blogging. Ike takes the next step of “paying it forward” and “giving back” by getting the nonprofits involved. Now that is admirable and I appreciate his efforts. Good job, Ike.

A visitor, Tina Lang-Stuart, suggested the links below. Good reading. Check them out.

A funny aside is that one of my students, Katie, commented that I had just tried “to explain to his survey research class what a meme is. I still do not understand what a meme is or how it is supposed to be used. I would like to know more about it though.”

Guess I didn’t do too hot of a job on that explanation, huh? Well, back to the drawing boards. Perhaps Elizabeth will provide some help. I told her once that I thought she should be teaching. Maybe she’ll come to Auburn. The students would be well-served by her knowledge.

• Mashable* » The Rise of the Memetrackers

  (tags: meme)

• Mashable* » Memediggers!

  (tags: meme)

At any rate, here are some new links.

Coincidently, after yesterday’s post, there is news about other Edelman blogging activities. The NYTimes ran a story I only saw after the post about Rubel’s posting activities.

The Times story raises some interesting questions about how PR firms should deal with the bloggers they pitch. The difficulty here is, after you pitch and provide information – no matter what you ask the bloggers to do re: transparency – you have no control over the results.

So, this NYTimes story highlights some of the pitfalls of blogger relations. I imagine this is only the beginning of the stories we will see – on a number of companies – re: their blogger relations efforts.

• Wal-Mart (NYTimes Story) Enlists Bloggers in Its P.R. Campaign – New York Times

  The unfortunate part of this story: “But Mr. Manson has not encouraged bloggers to reveal that they communicate with Wal-Mart or to attribute information to either the retailer or Edelman, Ms. Williams of Wal-Mart said.”

  The article does state: “Wal-Mart has warned bloggers against lifting text from the e-mail it sends them. After apparently noticing the practice, Mr. Manson asked them to ‘resist the urge,”‘ because ‘I’d be sick if someone ripped you because they noticed a couple of bloggers with nearly identical posts.’”

  Is that the reason to be concerned about posting without attribution – for fear of being caught? Or, is the more salient point to ask that the bloggers openly state that this is part of a reputation management strategy? or where they got the info and why it was shared?

  These are enthusiastic bloggers. They want to be evangelists for Wal-Mart. So, will they even see it that way? Will they see it as encumbent upon themselves to be transparent about where the info comes from and the purpose of the blogger relations program? I doubt it, in all cases. Some will, some won’t.

  Ultimately, the question comes down to, “Where does the responsibility for transparency fall here?” How far should the PR firm go to try and assure that transparency be adhered to in a blogger relations program? (Rhetorical questions, for the most part, but I’d like to see your opinions on the subject.)

  Bloggers may have “no rules” or “different rules” – but, that does not mean the PR firms should foresake the traditional best practices of assuring transparency. Ultimately, if they do, stories like this – uncovering unfortunate lapses in practice – will serve to undermine the value of the programs.

  Mr. Manson is identified as “Marshall Manson, a senior account supervisor at Edelman who writes for conservative Web sites like Human Events Online, which advocates limited government, and Confirm Them, which has pushed for the confirmation of President Bush’s judicial nominees.”

  Hat tip to Josh Hallett for pointing out the link.

  (tags: Walmart blogging blogs transparency)

Other Links:

• Talkshop
• IABC Measurement Commons
• IABC Communication Commons
• WordPress Randomized Blogroll Plugin | Gerd Riesselmann: Notes From the Bog
• Here at WCER
• RSS Pundit: When Opposites Attract–Ten Interesting Public Relations Blogs
• Nonprofit Blog Exchange | NetSquared

Also, from the PRbytes listserv (forgive me, I cannot find the originator of the post), there is an interesting download entitled: PR Measurement Comprehensive Overview.

• Do You Need a License to Earn a Living? You Might Be Surprised at the Answer – New York Times
  So, is this an argument to *not* have PR licensing?
  (tags: professional+licensing PR public+relations credibility faith)
• America’s Career InfoNet: Licensed Occupations
  Kudos to Cyrus in the PRMindshare listserv for tips to this, and the NYTimes article, links.
  (tags: professional+licensing PR public+relations credibility faith)
• PR Measurement Comprehensive Overview
  (tags: PR measurement Public+Relations publicrelations survey+research survey)

From their site:  “MediaPost Communications is an integrated publishing and content company whose mission is to provide an array of resources to super-serve media planners and buyers.”

• MediaPost Publications – It’s Not Considered Spin When You Are Forthright – 02/24/2006
  a little late to the conversation, but a good read … “This is why I’m sending out a little cyber band-aid to those poor folks, because their vice president really left them hanging last week.”
  (tags: PR media+relations public+relations)
• MediaPost Publications – The Merging of TV and BT – 02/24/2006
  I love these types of article … “FOR MANY ADVERTISERS, BEHAVIORAL TARGETING has come to be synonymous with online. Certainly the topic of BT has become the red-hot center of attention in online ad circles…”
  (tags: behavioral+targeting PR Advertising online+business)

This relates to my previous post about Technorati search while trying to find said articles.

Thanks to all who commented and emailed with links to articles of interest. Many thanks!

My post on Glaxo’s effort will follow.

• KDPaine’s PR Measurement Blog: More signs that PR is on the rise
  “I take exception to Ad Age’s verbiage that calls the move “unprecedented” since its a strategy Anita Roddock used decades ago with the Body Shop.” And others did it long before that, too.
  (tags: PR KDPaine Public+Relations speakers+bureau talking+points grassroots+PR)
• Canuckflack – a Canadian’s view of public relations, marketing, design issues, community relations, branding, promotions and, sometimes, politics.
  Colin should be ranked #1 in authority on this one. He provides great background information on Glaxo’s grassroots “salesforce as PR” campaign.
  (tags: branding pharma GSK Glaxo CME community+relations PR grassroots+PR public+relations)
• Glaxo Search: Headlines from PR weblogs Group Page – Blogdigger Groups
  A search of the Blogdigger “Headlines from PR Weblogs” group for the term “glaxo” .. a helpful tool, but did not provide an exhaustive search result
  (tags: blog+aggregator PR public+relations glaxo search)
• Glaxo’s Employee Ambassadors :: Holmes Report Blog
  This is an issue on which credibility is key, and sending out employee ambassadors is likely to be much more effective on that front than an advertising campaign.
  (tags: holmes+report blog+aggregator PR public+relations glaxo search)
• This is Why No One Trusts the Pharmaceutical Industry :: Holmes Report Blog
  a related article by Paul Holmes on the pharma industry
  (tags: pharma PR brand image public+relations marketing)
• Google Blog Search: glaxo
  Easily one of the best sources for posts on the Glaxo 8,000 Evangelists.
  (tags: Glaxo Google Blog+Search PR public+relations)
• Yahoo! News Search Results for glaxo AND pucci
  Yahoo! often provides good search results, but they put news and blogs in the same result, so … harder to filter.
  (tags: Yahoo glaxo+pucci PR search public+relations)
• IceRocket Blog Search: glaxo
  Not as good ad Google Blog Search, but some good results.
  (tags: icerocket glaxo PR blog+search public+relations)

My parents were born before the Great Depression and lived through it. My Dad’s family actually lived through it above the timberline in Colorado. Yikes!

My parents were also a part of the nation’s war effort during WWII. Mom, for instance, packed parachutes for paratroopers. Dad served in the Army on Okinawa and elsewhere in the South Pacific. Both overcame uncounted obstacles and prospered.

Mr. Burson is of that generation and I respect them all, with deep gratitude, for all they did to build – and save – a remarkable country.

• Harold Burson on His Generation and Life
  “I am a first generation American. My parents emigrated from Leeds, in the English Midlands, to Memphis.” He doesn’t call his generation, The Greatest Generation, but I do. ;o) Read more of his 85th birthday commentary. It is great.
  (tags: harold+burson blog greatest+generation PR public+relations)

• Web Design Times
  A great site for those interested in Design… web design, to be specific.
  (tags: design style+and+design layout css php html)