Categories: OLD Media Moves

How Wal-Mart and other businesses use blogs

New York Times business writer Michael Barbaro writes, “Under assault as never before, Wal-Mart is increasingly looking beyond the mainstream media and working directly with bloggers, feeding them exclusive nuggets of news, suggesting topics for postings and even inviting them to visit its corporate headquarters.

“But the strategy raises questions about what bloggers, who pride themselves on independence, should disclose to readers. Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest private employer, has been forthright with bloggers about the origins of its communications, and the company and its public relations firm, Edelman, say they do not compensate the bloggers.”

“But some bloggers have posted information from Wal-Mart, at times word for word, without revealing where it came from.”

As I posted on Monday, some bloggers were upset with the line of questioning from Barbaro, and they were concerned with the tone of the upcoming article.

Frankly, I think Barbaro raises some excellent points in his article about the relationship between big businesses and bloggers.

Read the article here.

Blogcritics.org, however, slammed Barbaro’s article. Daniel Harrison wrote, “It is a great shame to Barbaro and The Times that the erstwhile business reporter chose to concentrate his article on such an obvious flaw in comprehension of the New Media, for this might have been a relevant, lively think-piece about the tactics being increasingly employed by large organisations to market their message to a wider audience: he could have still maintained the same stance against PR to bloggers and got away with this.

“Instead, it looks like Barbaro needs to go back to journalism school and get to grips with the fundamentals of a technology even most teenagers know now how to interpret.”

Recent Posts

Changes in stock listings upset Dallas Morning News readers

Recent changes in the stock listings in the Dallas Morning News have upset some readers,…

10 hours ago

Hollywood Reporter hires Maglio as TV editor

The Hollywood Reporter has hired Tony Maglio to be its television editor. He has been at IndieWire…

10 hours ago

Bloomberg seeks a data visualization reporter in Washington

Bloomberg News is seeking a Data Visualization Reporter in Washington DC. You’ll display data-driven insights…

10 hours ago

Law360 reporter Scharf departs for new opportunity

Law360 reporter Rachel Scharf has departed for as new opportunity. She has been covering Los Angeles…

10 hours ago

Renick departs Schwab Network for new venture

Oliver Renick, founding anchor at the Schwab Network, has left for a new venture. Renick…

16 hours ago

Scaggs departs FT to start The Hedge newsletter

Financial Times staff writer Alexandra Scaggs has left to start The Hedge, a newsletter to cover grocery…

16 hours ago