Addressing delegates at yesterday’s CIPR conference, Black warned that the increasing prevalence of armchair journalism and user generated content could compromise client reputations online.
He suggested that PROs start familiarising themselves with libel law and engaging with those responsible for moderating online forums if their clients are to stand a chance in the increasingly important digital medium.
Black called the advent of web journalism ‘the biggest comms revolution since the birth of the printing press.’ He added that half of Americans are now reading their daily news online, especially those in high-income brackets and those under 25. Black noted that US web activity is a good indicator of what to expect in the UK in the near future.