Special Podcast: What Role Should Companies Play on Wikipedia?

It's one of the toughest issues facing the public relations pros and marketers face today: what role (if any) should companies play on Wikipedia? As we all know, its hugely influential. Should employees or employers start up new articles, make factual or content changes to existing entries?

This challenge is exactly what four of my me2revolution colleagues (Michael Wiley, Phil Gomes, Leah Jones and Ming Yee) and I debated on a special Edelman podcast (MP3 download). We're putting this out there to solicit your feedback so please do share it in comments to this post.

Here's a guide to the podcast...

01:05 - Phil kicks off the show’s theme: A debate on corporate wikipedia participation between Edelman’s Steve Rubel, Michael Wiley, Ming Yee, and Leah Jones.

01:50 - Steve begins the debate.

03:17 - Michael agrees "in theory."

06:26 - Steve: "There’s a cultural vibe that says ’hands off.’"

07:46 - Michael: "Where does a long arm of a corporation begin and end?"

10:04 - Phil: "Jim Carrey: ’I’m going to choke you now and don’t you dare defend yourself."

12:49 - Michael: Notability criteria

14:55 - Ming: On factual errors

15:18 - Steve: On the definition of an "error."

17:10 - Leah looks at the entry on Starbucks (Ed. Note: An Edelman client)

20:00 - Company vs. community re: article creation and correction

26:00 - "Padding" Wikipedia entries

27:06 - Influencing Wikipedia policy

29:15 - Phil wraps up the show

29:26 - Disclaimer

Tags: wikipedia