What do CBS, CNN, Google and Kryptonite Corp. (makers of popular bicycle locks) have in common? It's not only that they are all places to find updated cycling news on the web, but more importantly, they have all experienced the powerful impact of the blogosphere firsthand. Consider the resignation or firing of prominent CBS, CNN and Google staffers after information of their misdeeds spread through the blogosphere:

• Dan Rather aired documents on news program "60 Minutes" relating to President Bush's National Guard service that were eventually proven to be fabrications. Bloggers assertively began claiming the documents were false just hours after broadcast. The incident, now infamously known as RatherGate, cast a permanent pallor on Rather's otherwise distinguished 40-year career and his employer, CBS.
• During the World Economic Forum in Davos, bloggers reported that then-CNN news chief Eason Jordan had accused the U.S. military of deliberately attempting to assassinate journalists in Iraq. Although no transcript of the remark was ever produced, Jordan resigned to avoid further tarnishing CNN's reputation.
• Google employee Mark Jen was fired for openly criticizing his employer on his own personal blog, ninetyninezeros. Now at Plaxo, Jen has assisted in the development of Plaxo's first-ever Public Internet Communications Policy.

And in the case of Kryptonite, news of the discovery of a flaw in the basic mechanism of Kryptonite bike locks, (which made them vulnerable to picking with a plastic pen) flew around the blogosphere for five days before being picked by mainstream media or Kryptonite.

This example of a nightmarish product failure, exacerbated by one wily blogger, could have been easily averted had Kryptonite been monitoring blogs before the news broke in mainstream media.

What does this all show? That the blogosphere is a real and powerful medium that can affect a company's reputation, its employees and ultimately, its business. The influence of information communicated within the blogosphere grows each day, as the medium itself rapidly expands. According to Technorati, in September of 2004, there were 4 million blogs. Today, only seven months later, there are 10 million—50 million people read blogs, and 23,000 people create new blogs every day.

As the blogosphere expands and evolves, the PR landscape is experiencing a seismic shift. As any new medium arises, communications professionals must adjust their communications strategies. But the rules of engagement are vastly different as blogs are the new equalizer in news reporting and storytelling; anyone can write them, and readers of news are now writing news of their own. The question on the minds of many PR pros today is how to take the first step with blogs.

Here are some recommendations for getting started:

• Tools of the trade - The first step is to familiarize yourself with the easy-to-use tools that can help you research and read blogs on topics you are interested in. Research the blogs that cover your company on Technorati and set up an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) blog reader on Bloglines. This will help you sort through all of the blogs out there and monitor them minute-by-minute.
• Reporter blogs - Your media list can double as a blogger list, as many influential reporters now have their own blogs. Read their blogs to better understand areas of interest. If the publication that employs them doesn't include your company in a story, the reporter's blog is another avenue to generate awareness.
• Engage bloggers - Blogs are an open, ongoing discussion, and you can respond to postings. This is a great way to build a rapport with an influential blogger. Just remember that your postings are in the public domain, so be thoughtful in your approach.
• Blog relations - Incorporate the blogosphere in your public relations strategy. For example, develop an influential blogger list in tandem with a media list before any product launch. Use technology from companies like PubSub to identify the most influential bloggers on any given subject. Brief bloggers before launches and key announcements so they can help spread the word and generate awareness in the blogosphere. Monitor what they report and then measure how your messages were communicated.
• Corporate blogs - Companies from Microsoft to GM have external corporate blogs covering a wide range of topics. Before launching an external blog, try an internal one first to test the ground. Companies like Sun Microsystems encourage employees to blog, and it can be a great way to collaborate. Use The Electronic Frontier Foundation's recently published tutorial, "How to Blog Safely," as a primer to getting started.