Corporate Blogging

NPR’s Talk of the Nation covers a touchy, relevant, evolving topic: Blogging Poses New Workplace Issues. I’m very invested in this discussion, especially since I often mention the work I do, my employer in general and cool things I’d like to see our network undertake. I don’t hide my employer or my job title, but I am cautious about my criticisms and my suggestions.

For one, I’m unclear about the corporate/HR policy towards blogging. Secondly, I don’t want any reader to conflate my opinion or feelings with facts about what we’re doing or not doing. After all, the blog is my personal pulpit and not some corporate mouthpiece. What I say matters only inasmuch as it helps me crystallize my own thoughts/feelings and potentially solicits feedback from people I know or fans of the network.

Having said that, I’d love to become the Robert Scoble (who mentions the NPR piece) of TBS. I think it would be great to shed some light on the television, marketing and internet sides of our business, but I’m wary of the attention. Will I say too much or mention secrets unintentionally? Will people find me as trustworthy or sincere? Will I be as open and honest about work (can I be?) as I am about my own life?

It’s a strange thing, blogging. The more I do it, the more questions I seem to have, the more I find that I lack the tools to adequately describe what my blog is, what it will be and what that means in the larger sense.

For now I’m happy to crow about my successes, lament my (hopefully) insignificant and infrequent failures and get excited about ways that I, personally, can affect change and new media/new technology for TBS. If I can just stay pure about conveying my own enjoyment and excitement while being honest in my assessments, I’ll be doing a good job.

UPDATE: Brian Bailey points out Hugh McLeod’s fabulous post about the cross-pollination/cross-conversation enabled by corporate blogging. I’m not ready to give up my night job (personal blogging in this space), but it does give me a great perspective on what my work posts potentially mean to the broader community.

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