Corporate Blogger, or Corporate Espionage?

WIRED
Defense contractors, just like their counterparts in the Pentagon, are trying to get their hands around this whole social media thing. Most corporate flacks are smart enough to realize that you can’t get away with simply posting press releases or talking points from the CEO in blog form, but they are still struggling to harness the power of web 2.0

Defense giant Boeing is one of those firms that was toying with the idea of a company-backed blog. But the experiment may be stillborn, thanks to a company spokesman who may have taken a bit too enthusiastically to the concept.

Defense Daily (subscription only) has the whole story. It centers around Doug Cantwell, a Boeing spokesman who attended a recent industry symposium as an “independent blogger.” By passing himself off as a blogger — and not as a Boeing employee — Cantwell stirred up a controversy that could have serious implications for both companies that want to experiment with social media — and for reporters who work in the new medium.

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