The Internet has vastly increased the supply of news channels and
             outlets and has spawned a 24-hour news cycle. The media audience of a
             public relations (PR) professional is more informed than in times before
             the Internet when the press kit was the primary means by which a reporter
             could obtain information about a company without speaking with a
             representative. Press and analyst conferences are no longer "invitation-
             only" events, but are now available to the masses through the Internet.
             However, ubiquitous access has its challenges. A reporter may not even
             interface with a PR professional when writing a store, increasing the
             likelihood of negative press that could have been controlled or prevented
             had the reporter gone through the traditional PR channels. And,
             individuals can easily plant negative stories on message and chat boards
             that a PR person never evens sees because of the overwhelming task of
             trying to monitor the huge volumes of Internet content.[1]
             The most important lesson that PR professionals can learn is that the
             Internet should not be viewed as a replacement for personal contact with
             the media on a regular basis. This will give the PR representative the
             opportunity to convey a controlled message and a chance to rebut any
             uncontrolled negative messages. Furthermore, a communications network in
             which one arm of marketing is unaware of the activities of another, can
             hinder the processes of message control when information is so widespread
             and rapidly distributed. The solution lies in centralizing the information
             flowing in and out of the various communications departments and
             streamlining the processes for interacting with various media and non-media
             ...