An "old media" guy in a "new media" world

As someone who's profession has been in radio, TV, and print, I was an early adopter of the internet, not for the experience...thought viewing some of those websites can be quite an experience (wink, wink, nod, nod, say no more, governor, say no more), but for the information. It was great show prep, great for following Detroit and IU sports in Tulsa, and politics in general.
But I really didn't explore much further. Part of that is demographic, but I just didn't have an interest in MySpace or Facebook. Being on the radio gave me the outlet to talk about myself like others have by using those sites. So it wasn't on my radar...Heck, I just started texting in earnest last year. (I did come up with a cool way for radio and TV stations to contact their opt in listeners by cell or text message for contesting, etc. but THAT'S another blog). I've been reading a couple of political and sports oriented blogs for three or four years, again for info. I never really looked at the social networking opportunities until recently.
Howard Dean's ill-fated campaign last election cycle proved the power of the internet to mobilize and fund raise. But it wasn't until the Obama campaign have we seen just how much power we are talking about...and we are just BEGINNING to scratch the proverbial surface.
Chief Palmer and I wrote a book three years ago on how to manage the media in times of crisis called "And The Incorrect Answer Is...No Comment." We help non-media types ,through point-counterpoint illustrations and examples, better understand what the media wants, needs, demands, etc. and how, if you follow our suggestions, a few simple rules, that you can turn a crisis into a real branding opportunity; survive and thrive we call it .
The book is still valid today AS FAR AS IT GOES. We nail it on how to handle what, three years ago, WAS the media. We even made a few references to blogging, more as an afterthought than anything else, but we were at least aware of them.
Today, its a whole new world. More Americans are getting their info from the internet than are receiving it from traditional media. 67 million people have Facebook accounts, for god's sake. What does this mean to you??? It means that someone could be blogging about your business right now, hurting your brand and your reputation, and you don't even know about it. It happened in Tulsa last year. A pretty good restaurant closed it's doors mostly because a lousy review by a disgruntled patron on his blog took on a life of its own.
Just as Ron and I suggest with the old media...that you have a plan for a crisis and are proactive and take responsibility, the same thing holds true for the new media. Social networking is big and will become enormous. It fulfills the human need to feel connected, to sit around the campfire and commune. But it can work against you if you are not aware.Yes,it's just one more thing you have to do, but it could be a huge opportunity for you.
How, I hear you say. Well, I'm so glad you asked. Coming soon: a new chapter of our book on how to handle the new media, which will soon be available on our web site http://www.mediacrisisgurus.com/. Until then, consider taking a "new media" workshop or seminar like the one I attended in Tulsa last month. Talk about an eye-opener! Twitter, Flickr...hello!?? I had no clue. But now I see them as potentially VERY useful tools for the old media to reinvent itself using the new media.
Your thoughts are welcome