Wal-Mart Desperate For Positive P.R.

In a sickening attempt to gain a more positive image, retailing giant Wal-Mart has utilized bloggers to do its bidding.

NYT Link

Under assault as never before, Wal-Mart is increasingly looking beyond the mainstream media and working directly with bloggers, feeding them exclusive nuggets of news, suggesting topics for postings and even inviting them to visit its corporate headquarters.

And while other companies have utilized bloggers to promote new products, attempting to repair an image is apparently a first.

What is different about Wal-Mart's approach to blogging is that rather than promoting a product — something it does quite well, given its $300 billion in annual sales — it is trying to improve its battered image.

And how about this?

In a sign of how eager Wal-Mart is to develop ties to bloggers, the company has invited them to a media conference to be held at its headquarters in April.

Well, if the Bush administration has no problem buying journalists, why shouldn't Wal-Mart be training bloggers? Right? < /snark >

This week, we vote all such cooperating bloggers off the virtual island. The scribe has spoken.