Where the Fishermen Ain't -- Phil Gomes' Thoughts on PR, Social Media, and Blockchain Applications

New at EdelmanDigital.Com: Media Lessons from the Edward Snowden Case

I have a new post up at EdelmanDigital.Com about the Edward Snowden case from a media perspective:

“There are no secrets,” podcasting pioneer Adam Curry once said. “Only information you do not yet have.”

Opinions vary widely regarding the case of Edward Snowden, the former contractor with the United States National Security Agency (NSA) who has leaked information about U.S. intelligence practices and operations. This has surfaced interesting commentary about the nature of journalism and media today, especially in a world where leaks and other high-profile events move quickly and have far greater impact than just a few years ago.

Here are five of the many topics that the Snowden case has brought to the fore.

Read the rest.

 

My Edelman.Com Article on Online Behavior Policies

I have a piece up on the day-job site entitled "The Big Thing Companies Get Wrong About Online Behavior Policies."

From the article:

Face it: The number of employees who wake up in the morning and say, “My company’s reputation is a chief decision variable for what I’m going to post online today” is very small. (If you are the type to visit this site regularly, you are probably a member of this tiny group. Congratulations.) This is something that no policy will change — and it takes vast amounts of arrogance to think it will.

The way mechanisms and institutions of control attempt to come to terms with online communities is a passion of mine.

My Comments on News of the NYPD's Social Media Policy

I have a post up at Edelman.Com about the news of the NYPD's social media policy.

From the piece, called "The Thin Blue (Digital) Line":

A balance must be achieved here. One could argue that we have a very strong incentive to know as much as we possibly can about those we pay to protect us. So, we should want members of law enforcement to be online as much as is practical, so long as it doesn’t interfere with their duties or compromise loved ones. A policy, if too-broadly drawn, may have a chilling effect at precisely the time when citizens desire more transparency from their government.

Dan Edelman: 1920 - 2013

A sad day, but... Wow... What a rich, full, incredible, inspiring life.

I remember the first meeting I had with Dan in 2006, talking about WWII, California wines, Vincent Price, etc. He briefly lamented he had to give up handball sometime in his 70s, which I found both funny and, even in my 30s, enviable.

I wanted to record the discussion for earSHOT, which was the Edelman podcast that I briefly hosted.

"Phil... You think we can just talk?", he asked.

I scribbled notes like a madman. Fascinating discussion. I will never forget it. 

I shot this photo during the celebration of the firm's 60th Anniversary. Captured a moment for me that I couldn't quite describe at the time.

Thoughts and prayers are with the Edelman family.

The Web and International Business

My latest contribution to EdelmanDigital.Com is up.

Perhaps the most under-utilized Web resources in the communications world are the Web sites offered by international governing bodies. Therein lies a wealth of information that often goes overlooked.

Go to the site to read more.

Edelman Featured in Social Media Chapter of PR/Marketing Textbook

Was honored to join Richard Edelman, Robert Holdheim, Mark Hass and Steve Rubel as co-contributors in the "Social Media In Action" chapter of The Handbook of Strategic Public Relations & Integrated Marketing (2nd Ed.), edited by Northwestern's PR professor par excellence, Clarke Caywood. 

I recently gave a video interview regarding the themes in my contributions to that chapter. Here it is below.

Friday Five: Improving Your Social Media Policy

From my contribution this week to Edelman Digital's Friday Five newsletter:

I’m often called in to help write or evaluate social media policies for clients across our global network. In addition, I have a folder on my laptop bursting with policies that I’ve found from other companies. I spend a lot of time with these documents in my role, 10 percent of which involves being like the firm’s “Emily Post” of the Web.

Over time, I’ve noticed that there are a number of elements that social media policies tend to miss. Here are five of them.

More over at EdelmanDigital.Com.

Photo Credit: William Couch under Creative Commons.

Interviewed at Edelman Digital, by Edelman Digital

My colleague Zeenat Subedar from Edelman's Silicon Valley office e-interviewed me about a wide range of topics, including the Social Media "Belt System" that our tiny team has built at Edelman. 

I get a lot of questions about the Belt System, so this serves as a pretty good FAQ. 

Social Media, Organizational Transformation & Martial Arts

My latest post at the Edelman Digital blog talks about the "Belt System" our small Digital Integration team created to deliver and record the uptake of social media skills worldwide at Edelman. 

From the post:

My colleague Mitzi Emrich recently caused a micro-stir on Twitter during a DC meeting of the Social Media Club. Among the things that came up during the discussion: Edelman’s “Belt System” for social media training and certification.

“Have you written any blog posts on it?” asks Colin Alsheimer.

Here goes…

Congratulations Rick

From the Edelman Digital blog:

An email went out to our staff a few minutes ago announcing that effective June 1, I’ll be the president of Edelman’s Chicago office. I’m both honored and energized by the opportunity to lead our incredible team there in the place it all began some 58 years ago. I wouldn’t trade the past five years for anything. I’ve learned so much, about so much, from so many of you. I’ve seen “this” grow from intrigue to interest to dabbling to all-in.