Target requires blogging skills for media relations people

Target is looking for a new ‘Senior Manager of Media Relations.’ One of the requirements is ‘Strong knowledge for Internet journalism, e.g., blogs.’ Here’s one of the largest retailers in the country proactively looking for someone to either be involved in publishing blogs or to monitor blogs as part of crisis communications when a story on Target breaks out on the blogosphere.

As Jeremy Pepper of Pop! Public Relations wrote:

This is a major shift in corporate awareness, understanding that online media and blogging are part of the communications mix, and need to be tracked, monitored, and yes, responded to sometimes. Let me reiterate that – Target is not buying the cluelesstrain pitch that blogging practices need to be separate, but rather is looking for a PR person that understands blogs, how to track them, and how to work within the blogosphere.

At the LMA conference in Phoenix a couple weeks I listened to a panel of experts on PR and media communications. The need for a law firm to have on staff or consult with a person with a strong knowledge of Internet journalism skills was never mentioned. Heck, the panel never mentioned the term blog. It’s time for communications professionals serving law firms to wake up, if for no other reason than job preservation.