Industry great questions social media

Roger D’Aprix, the Godfather of internal communication, warns communicators that mindlessly embracing social media means risking crucial credibility

In a speech earlier this fall at the Melcrum Summit in Chicago, Roger D’Aprix shared doubts he has quietly harbored ever since the term “social media” surfaced in our business and began to dominate all discussions in communication.

Is Roger’s long view true blue? Or have communication media simply passed him by?

Here’s an excerpt from D’Aprix’s speech. Warning: It’s long. Promise: It’s worth it.

Blogs, message boards, podcasts, wikis and video podcasts.

If I have to define any of those terms, you haven’t been paying attention to one of the most hyped developments I’ve seen in four decades in working in this field. It’s hard to pick up any professional publication these days that doesn’t describe social media as the one trend we must incorporate into our respective communication strategies. Avoid its inclusion, they say, at your own professional peril.