Wired editor gives free PR to 329 undeserving flacks
As we noted earlier this week, Wired editor Chris Anderson published 329 email addresses that he had blocked in the past 30 days; most were PR firms sending unsolicited pitches. Anderson stated (and several PR and media professionals corroborated) that it's foolish and counterproductive to send pitches to a magazine's editor-chief rather than a more specific writer or editor, especially since Wired publishes staff writers' addresses.
Early Wired editor Kevin Kelly supported Anderson, but some commenters pointed out that Wired publicist and ad reps are no strangers to spam, while others just considered it bad form to retaliate by exposing flacks' e-mails to real spammers.
Today Anderson dissected the reactions, but he skipped one consequence of his action: Publicity-hungry bottom-feeders now have a list of (hopefully) low-rent flacks.
