A healthy majority of the 80 people attending the New Media Knowledge event rejected the motion 'This House believes that the PR industry has lost the capability to lead clients in a new media landscape.'

However, the challenge the industry faces from new media tools was illustrated by a number of people voting for the motion doubling from the beginning of the night to the end after listening to the debate.

Ian Delaney, publisher of NMK, said: 'The core competencies of PR in reputation and relationship management mean that it ought to be far more suited to online and social media than other kinds of agencies. However, the industry will need to get over its obsession with media in order to earn its place at the table.'

Attendees were drawn heavily from the digital PR sector and the debate was led by a of panel digital specialists including Stuart Bruce founder and MD of Wolfstar, Antony Mayfield head of social media at iCrossing, James Warren global head of digital at Weber Shandwick and Roger Warner founder and MD of Content and Motion.