K Street Cafe

Critics Say Social-Media Should Be Off Limits for DTC Drug Ads (Advertising Age)
Critics of using social media as a means of advertising for the pharmaceutical industry believe that the drug companies should not promote their products via e-mail, social networking sites, or text messages due to the seriousness of their message.

Is Starting A Corporate Blog True To Your Company Culture? (PR Communications)
Find out if your corporate culture is one that would benefit from blogging.

Losing Face (The Economist)
The Economist examines the recent case of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic employees who were fired because of their rants and raves on social networking Web sites.

Obama Lays Out Rules for Ethics (The Hill)
President-elect Obama’s chief of transition, John Podesta, recently outlined the new guidelines for lobbyists involved in federal government work.

Facebook for suits (The Economist)
In recent weeks, business-focused social networking Web sites have seen an increase in activity due primarily from the uneasiness regarding the financial markets.

YouTube Accord Eludes House (Roll Call)
The Senate’s recent approval of third party Web sites, such as YouTube, has left the House wanting a similar resolution.

Will Social Media Change the Political Process? Has It Already? (Social Media Explorer)
With over a third of Americans having watched a political video on the Internet, could the predictions that this years election will be the “Social Media Election” be true?

The New York Times Goes Social, Too (Rotor Blog)
The New York Times has started its own form of social networking with a program called TimesPeople. The program will allow users to share their favorite stories, make comments on blogs and post reviews of restaurants.

MyPRGenie Launches Version 2.0 and Adds Social Networking and Publicity Engine (Center Networks)
MyPRGenie, known for its free to low-cost services with press releases, has released a new version that helps organizations to manage their press releases and contacts, while allowing other users to discover and learn more about different topics.

The New Battleground (PR Week)
There is no doubt that presidential nominees are using digital media more than ever before in their campaigns, but how will these new forms change communications in the long term? Erica Lacono examines both the historical use of digital media in politics and where it could lead to in the future.

Protect Your Brand and Reputation On Twitter (PR Week)
With over 2 million users and more large organizations joining daily, Twitter has become an integral part of a brand. Monte Luz explains that while Twitter can better connect your organization to costumers and clients, it is important to be diligent about what is being said – she offers ten important tips working with Twitter.

Can It Be True? Lehman Bros. and Employees Apparently Not Using Social Networks (BlogWrite for CEOs)
Using Social Networks (BlogWrite for CEOs)
While the fall of Lehman Brothers shocked Wall Street and America as a whole, even more shocked were the employees who had to find out that they were jobless through mainstream media.  Debbie Weil questions how Lehman Brothers could possibly be without some internal communication processes.

Consumers Talk, Companies Listen (The Buzz Bin)
Companies and organizations may now be moving away from traditional forms of consumer response, such as phone surveys, toward social media platforms.  Larissa Fair examines how customers will respond more favorably to these new forms of outreach.

Amazee Makes Social Advocacy Accessible and Scalable (Mashable)
Amazee, a new social networking website, allows users to not only connect but also to come together on local projects and stay connected on a cause.  The site allows groups and organizations to keep all materials and members together in one place, helping to simplify the process and design of their project.