An open letter to Steve Crescenzo

Here's the comment I posted in reply to Steve Crescenzo's post.

" Interesting post, and I thank Eric Eggertson for bringing it to my attention.

Steve, you misrepresent me in your post, but I am sure it's friendly hyperbole. But I'd like to clear up a couple of points for your readers who don't know me.

First, while I responded tartly to David Murray on my blog, the message should be clear: I know of no credible communicator who sees social media as immediately revolutionary, but I know a hundred who are fitfully working toward an idea of what it will mean for internal communication over five to ten years.. In short, I answered "We don't know what it means, yet, but you are welcome to come out and help."

Ragan Communication could, if it wanted, help that discussion. As Robert French points out, the Global PR Blog Week could be an inspiration.

Second, I know of no credible communication blogger who disses any medium for conveying a message effectively. There may be bloggers out there who claim "print is dead", but not anyone I know. I challenge you or your readers to find a professional communicator who writes anything close to that on their blog.

Instead, the professional communicators I know embrace any medium that helps their client send a message effectively and listen to the audience. If we focus on social media in our blog posts, it is because they are new media -- the first textbooks are just now being written. Our interest in new media is not a dismissal of old media.

Third, as others have pointed out, I didn't come up with the "Nobodies" idea. But, if nothing else, 25 communication professionals linked up to share ideas. IABC Fellows, Gold Quill winners, PRSA leaders, Ragan Seminar speakers -- these are all somebodies who are happy to be nobodies in David's book if it suits him. But if you are are communicator on a budget, just read those blogs... saves you the price of a conference, and it's free.

Finally, Steve, I apologize unreservedly for any offense I caused you in my post. I have edited the paragraph in question, and inserted a "mea culpa."

I better buy Steve and David a button.

 

Comments

[bibibgoikixx]

two girls one cup
2 girls 1 cup

[Robert French]

Excellent letter, Allan.

I hope Ragan Communications will underatke an event like Global PR Blog Week. They would draw a crowd.

Now that everyone has made up, I need a tissue.