Via View from a Corner Office, we see that NRECA is hiring a blog master. That’s great, but I can’t figure out if it’s a good thing or a bad thing to broadcast to the world that the part of NRECA CEO will be played by the blog master. Isn’t a blog supposed to be a direct link between the author and the reader?
***Update: Check out the comments in this post for more conversation on the topic***
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I think the operative phrase is “supposed to be.” No doubt, weblogs were created in the spirit of one-to-one or one-to-many–but so were newspapers (town crier became New York Times Corp.).
The utility of the weblog format is destined to lead it in a number of communication directions far from its roots.
Ted Doyle http://www.expophile.com
Where does it say that the blogmaster will “play the part of NRECA’s CEO”? Other associations have someone functioning as a blogmaster and there is no doubt that it is not the CEO.
Karen, I mean no disrespect to you or your colleagues on your decision to hire a blogmaster. I’m just thinking out loud, so to speak. As to your question, I suppose that’s my paraphrase of “develop and maintain an online communication effort that establishes a dialogue between our CEO and consumers.” Sure, other associations have blogmasters that are “spokespersons” for their CEOs, but that doesn’t necessarily make it right (or wrong). For me, the most authentic corporate blogs are those keyed by their CEOs. I wonder how many of you would continue reading my blog if you knew I had hired a ghost writer? Food for thought.
One “corporate blog” that seems to get it right is the National Association of Manufacturers. There’s no doubt that Pat Cleary is writing it and not John Engler — it’s right at the top of the screen. I continue to read Pat’s blog because I know that it is Pat, even though it’s not the CEO.
Karen, thanks for challenging me think differently about this. After more thought, I think my point is better phrased as: For me, the most authentic blogs are those actually keyed by their authors (i.e. not a ghost writer). Maybe it’s just me, but ghost writing a blog just doesn’t feel right.
“…but ghost writing a blog just doesn’t feel quite right.”
I totally agree with you. Blogs require authenticity, and (to me) a ghost writer “breaks the trust” of the authenticity requirement.