Google News Adds Participant Comments: What It Means For Corporate Communications

In August 2007, Google News began allowing participant comments. Many individual news organizations are already offering various commentingfeatures, and aggregators are very likely to follow Google’s lead in offering story participants the opportunity to append comments to published news reports. This is a logical next step in terms of how consumers absorb news, and will become a customary offering by news aggregators within the very near future. It represents a valuable opportunity for news Web sites to provide a more holistic experience for readers, but also introduces new challenges for clients. In fact, some companies may perceive a lesser need for public relations counsel in this age of “do-ityourself” media. Burson-Marsteller continues to believe in implementing an integrative approach to public relations that leverages digital and traditional media to disseminate messages, participate in conversations, and build dialogue with key stakeholder groups. The potential risks and rewards are immense. To that end, Burson-Marsteller is committed to staying in front of the rapidly changing media landscape to counsel our clients appropriately.