(Summary by Sarah Wurrey)

CustomScoop's Chip Griffin, Jen Zingsheim and myself were delighted to welcome Converseon's Paull Young to the Media Bullseye Radio Roundtable this week. We discussed a number of the top stories circling the social media community this week, as well as my suggestion in a commentary earlier this week regarding the need for more advanced social media training at events and conferences.

The 24--minute discussion is available as an MP3 file to download.

AP Social Media?

We began by discussing whether some advanced training for those of us who are already immersed in social media might be necessary or helpful. I had written an argument for it on Media Bullseye, pointing out that while I thoroughly enjoy networking and meeting with fellow bloggers at conferences, the content of the discussions themselves are rarely anything new. Paull thought this sort of event already takes place, just not on a formal level, but in the discussions among the more advanced participants themselves. Is an advanced event for social media enthusiasts necessary?

Target in the Bullseye

Target found itself in a few bloggers' cross-hairs this week when they unveiled an ad that some might find salacious or offensive. Its response to a blogger inquiry dug the company in deeper with the blogosphere, as they dismissed the blogger with an explanation that they don't deal with "nontraditional media." We discussed whether this was a wise policy to have, and whether Target is obligated to engage with social media.

Ford and Cafe Press

A group of Mustang enthusiasts found themselves in the middle of a PR blogger storm this week, after news broke that Ford had issued a "cease and desist" to the group, who wanted to create a calendar featuring their cars. We discuss the fact that bloggers may need to step up their game on a research level, noting that Ford actually were not the ones putting a stop to the calendar, and are now engaging with responses on the blogs talking about this issue. Paull wonders if expecting bloggers to behave more like journalists is wise.

The 24--minute discussion is available as an MP3 file to download.