The Chartered Institute of Public Relation’s announced today that it has brought together some of the UK’s most eminent social media thinkers “to provide input into the Institute’s policy guidance, education and training.”
Led by CIPR Board Member and Stainforth MD Rob Brown the advisory board is charged with looking at the impact of social media on “online reputation developments, convergence in marketing communications and best practice social media measurement.”
CIPR President Jay O’Connor said: “A core theme in our three-year strategic plan is social media and the impact on the public relations profession. Rob joined the CIPR board to lead our efforts in this area, feeding into our policy, research and training. As part of this, Rob has set up the Social Media Panel – a group of some of the UK’s foremost social media contributors, who will debate and input, ensuring our guidance reflects the very best thinking and practice.
“Things are moving quickly. Reaching out to practitioners who can offer their insight so that we can guide our members and the profession appropriately is key.”
Members of the advisory board include:
- Daljit Bhurji ACIPR – Managing Director, Diffusion (@Daljit_Bhurji)
- Mark Borkowski – Managing Director, Borkowski (@MarkBorkowski)
- Rob Brown FCIPR – Managing Director, Staniforth (@robbrown)
- Stuart Bruce MCIPR – Managing Director, Wolfstar (@stuartbruce)
- Dominic Burch – Head of Corporate Communications, ASDA (@dom_asdaPR)
- Simon Collister – Head of Non-Profit and Public Sector, We Are Social (@simoncollister)
- Gemma Griffiths – Client Director, Racepoint (@GemGriff)
- Katy Howell – Managing Director, Immediate Future (@katyhowell)
- Marshall Manson – Director of Digital Strategy, Edelman (@marshallmanson)
- Beccy McMichael – Head of Corporate & Technology, Ruder Finn (@bmcmichael)
- Danny Rogers – Editor, PR Week (@dannyrogers2001)
- Julio Romo MCIPR – PR and Communications Consultant, twofourseven (@twofourseven)
- Philip Sheldrake – Partner, Influence Crowd LLP (@sheldrake)
- Stephen Waddington MCIPR – Managing Director, Speed Communications (@wadds)
- Robin Wilson – Director Digital PR & Social Media, McCann Erickson (@robin1966)
You can keep up to date with debates and developments by following the #ciprsm hashtag.
#Londonriots – Fuelled By Mobile, Not Social Media
Monday, August 8th, 2011Social media sites Facebook and twitter were blamed today by Government and Metropolitan Police spokespeople for fanning the UK #Londonriots and looting over the weekend. Fingers were pointed at these social networking sites for the fact that they enable people to send out calls for people to gather together.
The disturbances happened after the fatal shooting of Tottenham father of four Mark Duggan who was allegedly killed in a minicab on Thursday by police firearm officers.
Blaming these sites is just placing a distraction for the real reasons for the unlawful behaviour that took place, highlighting a lack of understanding or will to understand of how people use social media today.
In fact, as Partner at Engine group Jonathan Akwue points out in his blog, it wasn’t Facebook or Twitter that fuelled the riots, but most probably BBM – BlackBerry Messenger. BlackBerry is the phone of choice amongst a young demographic that took part in the riots, primarily because of BBM is virtually free (You just need a BlackBerry data plan) and unlike Facebook and Twitter, which are both open, it’s truly private.
BBM messages are encrypted and run through Research In Motion’s Canadian servers, and issue that has created many problems for the firm in India and the UAE, where they were threatened with being banned unless their encrypted communications were ‘opened-up’.
Emirates247 reported on 26th July that Abu Dhabi Police have warned that ‘spreading malicious rumours and fake news through BlackBerry messenger (BBM) is punishable by law and offenders could by jailed up to three years.’ The question now is if the UK Government is with it’s tarring of social networking and the recent extension of the #phonehacking judicial review going to push for something similar given that BBM is in all sense a private forum that is difficult to listen in on.
Blaming social networks is just a distraction, facilitating a reason for a possible change in policy that could be rushed through without understanding how these communication channels work. But think about it, why would anybody wanting to do a crime share it on an open network? Why not use a private channel? Why can’t lawmakers understand this simple fact?
During the weekend riots Twitter was the channel used to report what was unfolding in Tottenham, Edmonton and Brixton. A channel that captured in real-time what was organised on the locked-down BBM network. If you wanted a real-time update you went to Twitter and used relevant search terms.
As Omar said in The Wire, “the game’s out there, and it’s play or get played. That simple.” And at the moment the authorities are getting played. Blaming social media confirms the distance that exists between them and the reasons that trigger the unrests.
*** UPDATE ***
BlackBerry UK have released the following statement in response to the use of BBM, ‘As in all markets around the world where BlackBerry is available, we cooperate with local telecommunications operators, law enforcement and regulatory officials. Similar to other technology providers in the UK we comply with The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act and co-operate fully with the Home Office and UK police forces.’
Tags: #londonriots, bbm, blackberry, facebook, government, london, met, police, policy, research in motion, rim, riot, social media, social networking, socialmedia, socialnetworking, twitter
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