In the AdAge piece, Lindsay is quoted as saying she deserves all the free swag that advertiser’s and PR companies send to blogging moms: “I worked hard for my swag, okay? I freaking deserved it.” Reading that quote, you’d think Lindsay was nothing but a shill that’s out for all she can get.

Where it becomes interesting is that the blog post the quote was taken from is a satirical piece, with Lindsay actually decrying the way this year’s BlogHer conference seemed to have devolved into a free-for-all grabbing spree by some bloggers. Lindsay mentions this in the comments section of the AdAge piece, as do several other replies.

Lindsay’s comment was posted at 9.17am this morning. As of writing (almost two hours later), there is no reply from either AdAge or Lauren Barack, nor has the piece been amended. This seems like a missed opportunity for AdAge and Lauren.

One of the things that is repeated time and time again in this space is the importance of monitoring the conversation. The slightest negative response can soon flare up into something much bigger, and this is now being seen in the comments of the AdAge piece, Twitter, and Lindsay’s blog.

What could have happened and what could happen next?

• AdAge could/should have amended the article.
• Lauren and/or AdAge could/should have apologized to Lindsay.
• AdAge could/should do a follow-up piece about fact-checking, relevance and the importance of timely conversation.

There’s no doubt that AdAge offers an excellent medium for some of the best media news around. Lauren Barack is also an award-winning journalist. But it’s clear that what may have seemed a harmless quote was taken all out of context and could have been seen as questioning Lindsay’s integrity.

It could have been avoided with a simple email to Lindsay prior to the piece. Even when the shit hit the fan this morning, it could have been handled better with a clear response. So far, this hasn’t been the case.

If you’re still dubious about the importance of monitoring and responding, the AdAge/Lauren Barack/Lindsay Ferrier triangle is a great example of why you need to.

Are your ears burning this morning?

• Update: Lauren has responded to the comments with this reply, although it could be argued it’s not exactly apologetic.
• Update: AdAge has since added an addendum to the post, apologizing for the gaffe.
  

photo credit: svenwerk

AdAge and The Power of Response originally appeared on Danny Brown | Social Media Marketing Blog - The Human Side of Media and the Social Side of Marketing under a Creative Commons license.