Joho the Blog
An Entry from the Archives

Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman PR, the largest independent public relations company, has started a weblog. I noted that fact on Nov. 23, and also disclosed that I've done a little work for the company and know Richard a bit. Recently I've become a consultant to the company on how the Internet and PR intersect.

Jay Rosen today posts a good piece that expresses surprise and dismay that the blogosphere — and particularly, the part that blogs about PR — has ignored Richard's posts excoriating Ketchum for betraying the PR code of ethics in the Armstrong Williams propaganda scandal. And before you say, "PR code of ethics? Isn't that an oxymoron? Heh heh," meet Richard.

So, here's the odd thing. I would have linked to his posts but Edelman PR is a new client, and Richard was personally involved in engaging me, so it felt too shill-y and suck-uppity to suddenly start pointing to his posts, even with a disclosure statement. Then there's the fact that I didn't read his posts until long enough afterwards that I felt embarrassed about tacitly acknowledging it; that was a failure as a consultant. (Just to be clear: I had nothing at all to do with the content of Richard's posts.)

On reflection I think it was a mistake not to have blogged them. As Jay says, Richard's posts fulfilled "the public service promise of CEO blogging" and deserve more than close to zero linkage.