Colin Farrington anti-social media update

David Brain has posted a copy of Colin Farrington's reply to his original letter aired on the Edelman CEO's Sixtysecondview vlog.

I will leave David and others to air their views on Colin's robust response!

Stuart Bruce also covers the story and adds more about his work devising a CIPR social media code of conduct.

Still on the subject of the "Tetchy Emperor" [David's words, not mine!], Stuart links to a series of comments involving Colin on Elizabeth Albrycht's blog, Coporate PR.

Elizabeth is a founding member of the Society for New Communications Research and an influential US blogger based in Paris.

She posted about a recent nightmare business trip to London under the headline: 'Travel Rant'. Several people responded. One of them was Colin. I won't regurgitate the exchange, you can read it here. Personally, I was pretty appalled by the tone and confrontational nature. Have a look and make of it what you will

CIPR President, Tony Bradley, blogged back in July about a junior PR exec in Canada who described:

"how she reads many blogs but is reluctant to comment on these - even if it is something she feels strongly about."

Colin clearly has no such qualms, but I would argue that adopting a similar stance is not used as a best practice guide!

Comments

[Ian Green]

I don't mind a robust debate but this borders on the political. Colin (I've never met the man and I'm not even a member of the CIPR!) comes over very Colonel Blimpish.
Yes, I do believe that Elizabeth was dissing the Brits - or at least those working at airports and I've had worse experiences in New York, LA and San Fransico (two hour wait at passport check in with projectile vomiting five-year-old daughter) and all of this before 9/11.
However, for someone who seems to be so ambigious about social media he seems to have to jumped into the pool at the deep end with a big belly flop.
I agree with Stuart Bruce. Who runs the CIPR - the members, the board or the CEO-cum-DG? I think we should be told.
Is it time someone set up an organisation for social media in the UK? Now there's a thought.

The other thing that intrigued me - reading his letter - was his reference to "Older Members". Who are they?

[Stephen Davies]

I'm deciding whether to upgrade my CIPR membership from student to graduate. I might just give it a miss.

[Rob Skinner]

The thought occurs to me: are the Farrington comments a spoof? Probably not, but if you were the DG of the CIPR would you be foolish enough to adopt such an aggressive stance?

[Rob Skinner]

The thought occurs to me: are the 'Farrington' comments a spoof? Probably not, but if you were the DG of the CIPR would you be daft enough to make aggressive comments about a fellow practitioner on her blog? If they were indeed made by Colin, he could have made the point in a reasonable and compelling way. That should be second nature for a professional communicator!

[Simon Collister]

That's the main point, Rob. And Colin signed the comments with his CIPR email... Does that make it an offical CIPR view? Fairly agressive as you say!