We've often discussed the value of podcasting, blogging and other web 2.0 media as a core ingredient of effective communications programs. For some, however, the implementation of these things on the IT side can be difficult.

So I thought I'd take the occasion of today's new release of Drupal (Drupal 6) to talk a bit about this.

Drupal is a content management system, or CMS, that powers websites. Our farrell kramer communications site, in fact, is powered by Drupal.

If you record it, they will come...

At least, if you're recording podcasts. A new study by eMarketer has found that the U.S. podcast audience rose to 18.5 million in 2007. It is expected to hit 28 million by the end of this year and 65 million by 2012.

Where the eyeballs -- or ears, in this case -- go, the dollars will follow. eMarketer sees podcast-related advertising in the U.S. more than doubling to $435 million by 2012.

A number of factors are driving the growth of the podcast-user base:

* Greater ease of consumption for podcast content
* Growing awareness of podcasting
* Terrestrial radio’s use and promotion of podcasting
* Increased penetration of portable players
* The evolution of smart phones and proliferation of affordable mobile data plans

After years of writing, I am always amazed at the proofing process. A written piece can pass through multiple hands and head to the printer, only to return with a glaring error. It's easy to toss judgment and blame after the fact, but the bottom line is, just as everything else in life, anyone who has spent time communicating (that would pretty much mean everyone) has fallen prey to this head-banging reality and those pesky mistakes that seem to slip through no matter what.

While driving down the interstate one day, I saw a sign that said "No Pedestrains". Suddenly, I pictured a line of people holding each other by the waist, dancing a conga line across four lanes of traffic.

Not too long ago, I sat down in a restaurant and glanced at a full-color glossy poster for the "Decemember Band Lineup". I wondered if the lead singer stuttered.

OK, so maybe it's a bit silly to talk about what a blog is ... on a blog ... but in my experience lots of folks are still a bit perplexed by the blogosphere.

So, here's a cute video that spells it out. The only thing it doesn't talk about is RSS feeds, which are critical to understanding the unique value blogs bring to aggregating different new sources. To find out more about feeds, see this article on our help pages.

How much should you spend on a press release? A lot less than you might think.

According to the 2007 Journalist Survey on Media Relations Practices I posted on yesterday, reporters in overwhelming numbers prefer to get their news from us via email -- not the big newswires.

That's right.

• Nearly 8 out of 10 (77.9%) surveyed said they prefer to receive their news "via press releases sent to me by email."
• Another 4.5% chose "official alerts sent to me from a corporate online newsroom" ... which, of course, come via email.
• And, hold your breath, just 7.6% wanted their news "via commercial newswires (such as PR Newswire or BusinessWire).

Logically, it had to be true. A new survey on reporters' online activities shows that our efforts in the new media space are indeed reaching reporters in healthy numbers.

According to the study by Bulldog Reporter and TEK Group, called the 2007 Journalist Survey on Media Relations Practices:

• 16% of journalists subscribe to 5 or more RSS feeds
• more than a quarter of journalists regularly read 5 or more blogs
• nearly 70% follow at least one blog

Here are some additional details, as reported by A Feed is Born:

A Chicago Tribune piece that talks about USA Today's upcoming 25th anniversary makes a point all communicators should think about -- particularly in today's challenging environment.

Recall, when it first came out, USA Today was derided as "McPaper" for putting out very short stories that couldn't possibly be substantive...

Here's the beef:

Enough of doom and gloom. Here's some good news for the newspaper industry.

The folks at The Bivings Report have compiled a list of the Top 10 newspaper websites and run through the features that make them special. They were rated "not only on their web features but also on the design, aesthetics and general usability of the site."

And, the winners are...

1. The New York Times
2. The Washington Post
3. USA Today

For the Nos. 4-10, please check out the Bivings post itself.

So, just what made the best, the best?

A great deal of ink has been given to Rupert Murdoch's now apparently successful bid for Dow Jones & Co., publisher of The Wall Street Journal. Part of this is because the news media love to cover ... the news media.

However, we are also talking about one of the best newspapers in the country and, importantly, a place that's always been a dream for aspiring writers in small and midsized newsrooms everywhere.

The New York Times may be the paper of record, but the Journal has always attracted those who see themselves as writers. Its great creativity and willingness to take risks with its page one stories -- particularly those in the center column -- gave heart to hardworking scribes everywhere.

Facebook, the social network that once upon a time required a school email address to join, is becoming the communications app of the moment. And not just for young folks, either.

A lot of businesspeople, big-time bloggers and others are headed to Facebook. Why? Its open API -- and the applications being developed for Facebook -- are transforming it into a truly useful social network. Blogger Jeff Pulver says he's migrating from LinkedIn to Facebook: