Jan

Ghostwriting blogs: views pro and con

Posted by Renee Hopkins Callahan

Last week's "herding cats" roundup included a link to a post by Corante Network contributor Toby Bloomberg at Diva Marketing on ghostwritten executive blogs:

"Some people might say what's the big deal? Ghost writers draft executives speeches all the time. Why not ghost writers for blogs? For this diva, blogs are personal writings, even if the topic is business, the heart and soul of the author comes comes through. (Sure a talented copywriter can capture a personality. Let's agree not to go there.) It just does not seem quite right to ghost write blogs."

Corante Network contributor Neville Hobson at NevOn linked to the same survey results but came to a different conclusion:

"So with clear disclosure, I don't see any problem at all with an organization having someone write a senior executive's blog. I'm willing to hear any persuasive argument to the contrary, though."

Here are a few other voices on this issue:

Philip Young at mediations:

"... the purist line...does have some validity, right now, in January 2006, when blogs are routinely framed as highly personal communications. Whether this ascetic appoach will have a validity in a few years time, when blogging has evolved into something rather diffreent remains to be seen...The point, as before, is whether or not the organisation - the blogger or the blogging team - are trying to create the impression of adherence to the purest blogging aesthetic..."

BL Ochman at what'snextblog:

"I say ghost-written blogs are dishonest. Blogs are for people who have something to say and who know how to say it....CEOs or other executives should contribute to a company blog when they have something to say. (Save the PR crap for the annual report.)"

In an article for Datamation, Steven Warren lays out what he intimates is the inevitable scenario:

"But just like any new fad, interest wanes and less people blog until the blogging becomes almost nonexistent. Now marketing is left scratching their heads because they have a built an infrastructure and spent a good deal of money and now they are in desperate need of content. This is where I introduce to you the ghost blogger and the ghost blogger service -- passionate writing and informed content for hire."

This lively discussion -- all of these blog entries have multiple comments -- is taking place at the same time that a recently published memoir has been shown to be largely a work of fiction:

"Two days after an investigative report published online presented strong evidence that significant portions of James Frey's best-selling memoir, 'A Million Little Pieces,' were made up, the book's publisher [Doubleday] issued a statement saying that, in essence, it did not really matter."

The New York Times piece from which I quote goes on to offer some quotes that offer the reader's perspective:

"...reaction on the book club message boards on Monday ranged from staunch defenses of Mr. Frey to outrage at the possibility that his book is fictional. But as more time passed, even some of the messages that supported Mr. Frey contained a note of resignation. 'Why did he say it was all true, when it clearly wasn't?' wrote one reader, identified as moogs78. 'I would have liked the book anyway.' "

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Category: Blogging

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