HighTalk turns four years old this month. Hooray? I’ve been a blogger for six years with HighTalk my primary blog. Why do I do it? I’m not really sure. I started because, as a former journalist, I missed writing. But blogging isn’t the same kind of writing as journalism. Or fiction writing. Or poetry. Or […]
Read moreThe Great Relief That Comes When You Quit Blogging
…and the guilt. ..and the feeling of failure. But above all the wonderful sensation of FREEDOM. Of getting your life back. Blogging can feel like a great hunger that constantly needs to be nourished. There’s a sense of panic when you haven’t posted in a long time. But when you stop? Ahhhh… And then, […]
Read more5 Tips for a Social Media Crisis
You can take this to the bank: If you are a brand then you’ll experience a social media crisis. It’s inevitable. Look at it this way. No brand in existence – not even the most popular and best-loved brands in the world – has ever avoided a negative phone call, a snarky email, a compliant […]
Read moreDon’t Forget Blogging – Even Though Everyone Else Seems to Have
At times blogging seems so… yesterday (Not unlike those photographs of your high school prom when you were wearing a baby-blue tuxedo, a navy-blue cumber bun and a bow-tie the size of an airplane propeller). Wasn’t it yesterday that Technorati was tracking more than 133 million blogs – with thousands literally being created daily? Now […]
Read moreIs Civility on the Decline in the U.S.?
Weber Shandwick today released a fascinating survey called: Civility in America. The survey is chock-filled with valuable information. I highly recommend clicking the link below to download the report – a quick and easy read at six pages (full disclosure: I work for Weber Shandwick). From the report (released in conjunction with Powell Tate and […]
Read moreMuch Ado about Commenting
Commenting or the ability to have readers expressing their reactions to blog posts and news articles is a cornerstone of social media. It is this interaction and engagement with fans, followers, readers, constituents (or whatever else you want to call them) that makes social media so different from traditional one-way communications. The concept is simple: […]
Read moreLet’s Replace Press Releases with Blog Posts
Give Andrew Fowler at Newsvetter credit. Apparently, without the aid of an adrenaline shot, Fowler read through every single press release from the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Why? He wanted to find an example of an original, creative press release. He failed. “For a conference that showcases some of the most […]
Read moreGoodbye, 2000s
I have a job that didn’t exist in 2000. I help clients to communicate and market on Internet platforms that weren’t invented 2000 (who could have really imagined the impact of Twitter in 2000?). The decade we’re about to leave behind (has it been that long already?) won’t go down in history has a very […]
Read moreTruth – Not Sides – Is What Matters in Journalism
When I was a newspaper reporter, I heard the expression dozens of times a week: “There are two sides to every story.” I heard it from sources. I heard it from editors (especially from editors). I heard it from fellow reporters. Hell, I probably muttered those words a hundred times myself. Probably as my lame […]
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January 25, 2013 


Does Commenting Add Any Value?
Do you read comments? For me the answer is: It depends. I often read the comments on my favorite blogs. The comments on blogs generally add value. Often there are debates breaking out around the issues the blogger has explored in his/her post. I like reading how people are reacting to the content and the […]
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