the(new)mediaslut

One of the biggest no-no for a blog is the use of vulgarities in any of the post.

Bloggers may argue that it is their freedom of speech to post what they want. That’s your right as a blogger but if you want to be considered to be engaged by the PR agencies or the big brands, it is better to refrain from using vulgarities.

There are some popular blogs out there that are on the PR agencies blacklist because of vulgarities found on the post.

Many of the PR do not want to have to deal with a post that has too much vulgarities especially with the client.

PR are also caught in between so it is better not to add fuel to fire. If the blog post were to have something vulgar in the post, the vendor might not want to be associated with  that post and demand that the PR get the blogger to pull out that post.

But if the PR were to ask the blogger to pull out that post, a backlash might happen as the PR might be seen as wanting to control the blogger’s so called “freedom of speech”.

Hence, PR would rather refrain from engaging such blogs despite their popularity.

Singapore bloggers are posting their anger over the “dragging” of the Singapore flag by the country’s table tennis representative and flag bearer, Li Jia Wei, during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

As the Olympic opening ceremony is on the eve of Singapore’s National Day, The “dragging” incident has also turned into a spat of how imported “foreign talents” are representing Singapore in the sporting arena.

The incident also sparked these bloggers’ interest into “Googling” the rules of respect for the Singapore flag.

Wrote DK of blog.dk.sg,

It is dragging on the stadium floor most of the time. How could someone be so careless when holding the national flag infront of the whole world? If she put in extra care when holding the flag, this wouldn’t had happened. I already find it disgraceful when our national flag is being carried by a foreign talent during the opening ceremony. She have to rub salt into the wound by dragging my flag across the stadium.

Wrote IZ.Reloaded.com

I guess that’s what you get when you purchase an athlete from China - they just have no respect for your flag. According to the Singapore Arms and Flag and National Anthem Act, no person must treat the national flag with disrespect, nor must any person in possession of the flag allow or cause the flag to touch the floor or ground. The penalty is a fine not exceeding S$1,000. Ouch.

Curious, why didn’t any of the other Singapore-born athletes in the march past go up to Jiawei to correct her flag carrying posture?

The Singapore Olympic Council has yet to respond to the incident.

Here’s a little clip of how a Mexican flag was dragged in protest against Mexican immigrants in the US.

Bloggers are now getting invited to events organised by PR agencies for the clients.

In Singapore, it seem those who are invited are the “In Group” bloggers from Ping.sg or those who are usually hitting the Top 10 at the same blog aggregation site.

If you do not qualify in either category, here are some tips, from the inside, on how you, as a blogger, can get yourself invited to such events.

Tip 1: Improve your “About” page

When PR selects a particular blogger to an event, the PR person needs to submit a brief to the client in order for the client to understand who the blogger is.

To assist the PR person, you, as a blogger, should fill up your “About” page accordingly with as much details as possible.

The essential details should include your name and your email address. If the PR person have selected your blog and can’t contact you, how would you expect the agency to invite you to the event?

Unfortunately, most PR would not put the invitation in your comments field as they fear that the event might end up too public.

In the about page, you should include a description of your blog and what interests you. This would have the PR person to have a better understanding of your blog and you as a blogger, thus increase your chance of selection.

Tip 2: Use a public  webstats page

In the PR industry, it is still a numbers game. The more readers or visitors you have,  the more likely you will be invited for the event.

Hence, its advisable to share your stats with a open webstats page. These numbers will provide further justification to have you invited for the event.

Otherwise, most PR person will make use of Alexa.com to get an estimation of your blog numbers and this estimation may not best reflect the true popularity of your blog.

Tip 3: Send an introductory email to the PR agencies

Take a look the bloggers that have been invited for these events and you would most likely see the names of the PR agencies  that have organised the events.

Some of the agencies, in Singapore, that have invited bloggers to events include Waggener Edstrom, Ogilvy PR and EASTWEST PR.

Go to their websites and email them a quick description of  your blog and yourself. They will definitely keep you in file and select you for events in the future.

This blogger last year posted about Olive Riley who, at 108, is considered to be the world’s oldest blogger.

A year has almost passed and it is sad to hear that Olive has passed on.

Wrote Techradar.com,

Most grandmothers don’t know what a VHS is let alone a computer, so it does come as a surprise that the world’s oldest blogger, who died on Saturday in Australia, was the grand ol’ age of 108.

Olive Riley was the owner of the blog ‘The Life Of Riley’, which has more recently become ‘World’s Oldest Blogger’.

The blog had more than 70 postings about her life in Woy Woy, Southeast Australia.

May she rest in peace and Google keep her blog permanent.

The blog post started as a cry for help. Now it has turn into a media circus.

It might have taken Jean of Jean.sg lots of guts to blog a post her post re-accounting her unfortunate incident where her modesty was deemed to have been outraged, however, was she aware of the reactions she would be getting from netizens?

They varied from support to insults.

Interestingly, the blog post has been picked up by the Singapore media and it seems like John (the alleged aggressor) has turn into from villain to the unfortunate victim.

This blogger have been asking her girlfriends if they would blog about such an incident and to get their opinion about the blog post.

Not surprisingly, many of them replied that they would not blog about it because it was something too personal.

What surprise me was their reaction to the blog. Most of them highlighted that they felt Jean was just trying to get attention.

Maybe that’s the problem. Has social media turn bloggers into anti-social animals where the blog is the only avenue to attract attentions to one call for help?

Or is it the medium that is starting to be the place for a person to let out her/his soul?

Or maybe, just maybe, bloggers need to have their own PR person to help them communicate to the press?

So what should Jean do now? or John?