There have been many articles written about how the blogosphere is impacting public relations. Indeed, bloggers are finding that they are being pitched news and stories because, now, the blog is another arena in which to build brand visibility.

Along with the growth of the blog as a target media outlet comes the fear that blogs can create too much negative PR.

I would diasgree. Yes, the blog is a forum in which any opinion can be voiced, but for this reason, the blog can be a very powerful sales tool.

We all recognize customer testimonials as a great way of marketing to our prospects, as these testimonials build our credibility. Now, imagine those testimonials completely unsolicited and visible online. They are no longer a direct marketing sales tool; they are personal recommendations from one blogger to another.

If your company is responsible for selling a product that is less than par, or a service that leaves a lot to be desired, the best thing you can do is work to improve that product or service.

Remember, PR is not about lying, it is about communicating the merits of a company, product or service. Negative PR is based on a reality.

Some journalists will do anything to avoid PR companies. From purposely ignoring the PR agency and contacting the client direct, to suggesting that all PR companies should be blacklisted, there’s certainly no doubt in my mind that PR pro’s are highly disliked.

These anti-PR attempts really do rattle my cage, especially when the journalist contacts the client direct and then is surprised when they do not receive a return phone call or email. Companies hire PR agencies for a reason - to handle this kind of communication. The client does not want to be bothered by endless calls from journalists and advertising sales reps. And everyone talks about PR people being the spammers………

Many public relations agencies rely on databases such as Bacons MediaMap to retrieve up-to-date background and contact information on journalists and publications. Bacons charges a hefty price for this service and it has recently come to my attention that it does not carefully monitor the quality of its information.

Some journalists have been extremely irritated - and rightfully so - by snooping Bacons reps that have listed personal email addresses and phone numbers in the database - without requesting permission.

There are many journalists that are not necessarily anti-Public Relations, but instead, wish that PR could work a little better.

While the onslaught of the online revolution and growing popularity of RSS feeds are screwing the lid on traditional public relations practices, I believe that they may also be providing the key to better public relations.

Remember: new PR does not have to be a negative thing.

If journalists are tired of sifting through their inboxes for a decent PR lead and are instead subscribing to RSS feeds and searching for content online, guess what? We have to make sure that our press releases and PR efforts are visible online.

Many people misunderstand Public Relations and believe that it is all about annoying sales people calling journalists about irrelevant press releases.

Public Relations is about building positive brand visibility and communication. It doesn’t matter whether that communiation is direct from PR pro to journalist or whether it comes via the online webosphere.

Here are 5 ways that PR pros can make the most of their press releases and move their efforts online:

Charles Arthur, a technology writer for the UK newspaper, The Guardian, is saying “no” to press release pitching.

Instead, Charles, like many journalists these days, is relying on news feeds to find his stories.

The problem with traditional press release pitching is this:
Too many PR specialists do not take the time to ensure that they are sending journalists press releases relevant to their particular beat. Why would journalists spend the time sifting through irrelevant press releases in their inboxes to find a gem, when they could more easily use an RSS aggregator to find the news they are really looking for?

RSS feeds are not only more successful in delivering material that journalists are actually looking for, but they also remove the annoyance factor that haunts every journalist that has ever received an inappropriate PR pitch.

It would seem that the role of the press release is rapidly changing. To successfully communicate client news, PR professionals must now keyword optimize press releases and distribute via RSS feeds to make sure that they reach their target journalists.

Which news feeds are you subscribing to?
Feedback from journalists is highly encouraged.

USA Today ran an article this week on the latest teen Internet hit - www.myspace.com

More than being an online forum for teen chat, MySpace is actually becoming known as a network for gaining exposure. With over 47 million members, musicians and entrepreneurs are using MySpace to gain public awareness.

WIRED Magazine recently ran an article on the band Hawthorne Heights, which became a success after signing up with MySpace. MySpace has now started its own record label in conjuction with Hollywood Undead, a rap band that launched on MySpace in June, which has developed a following of 111,000 MySpace members.