Cue Damien Mulley’s Online PR Training Course.  I attended the inaugural one last Sat (23rd Jan 2010) in Dublin.  Damien not only possess the theoretical knowledge, he’s also a hands-on practitioner and an avid industry-watcher.   Addressed were the issues of getting your information out into the online space in terms of channels, approaches and etiquette.  Also on the agenda were:

• Developing a Business Communications Bible
• Developing an Online Communications Philosophy
• Clever ways of utilizing the free online tools available
• Crisis Communications – the one we all hope not to have to use but the one it’s most critical to get right.

Bad crisis management remains evident on the Internet for a long time.  Darragh Doyle, Community Manager of Boards.ie, spoke about how they dealt effectively with the fallout of their very recent hack attack.

There was a broad range of participants, some good questions and discussions.  One topic that I wondered about afterwards and perhaps it’s something to touch on briefly in future courses was Truth/Ethics:

• At what point does online PR become more than engaging with users, guiding an online conversation or responding to misinformation?   At what point does it become misleading, untruthful and loaded with the potential to damage the reputation of the organization?
• We all want to promote positives about ourselves, our companies and our achievements. So how do we do this while remaining truthful to less appealing aspects and not leaving ourselves open to accusations of spin?  How can organizations build this into a communications philosophy or bible, given the subjective nature of truth and ethics?
• Google famously adopted a ‘do no evil’ company philosophy from very early on.  Whether that philosophy is truly reflected in how they operate is debatable and whether that sort of philosopy is compatible with ambitious business expansion plans is also debatable.
• Consider the ethics of bare-faced lies crafted to protect a company and its shareholders (as per Apple’s spin on Steve Job’s illness).  Which is the greater evil, allowing the truth to potentially harm a company or deliberately crafting an untruth about something that may indeed impact on company performance?

Good course, well delivered by a highly regarded practitioner.