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Re: Is it OK to ghostwrite a CEO blog?
by Mordechai (Morty) Schiller
Debbie, I'm going to get clobbered here, but I don't see anything wrong with ghostwriting a blog. Order in the court, please. OK, here's why: If I write an ad or direct mail package or newsletter for an company, do I sign my own name to it? Of course not! Even the letters get sent under the name of the company spokesperson. And how about speeches? Anybody remember Spiro Agnew (or want to?). Well if you do remember him, it's probably because of his speeches--in particular the ones where he zinged it to the press: "nattering nabobs of negativism" and critics of the war in Vietnam: "an effete corps of impudent snobs who characterize themselves as 'intellectuals.'" Well Mr. Agnew said those words, but he did not write them. They were written by William Safire. (See http://www.answers.com/topic/nattering-nabobs-of-negativism.) Is that unethical? (I'm not talking about the former vice president, I'm talking about Mr. Safire.) I've written letters, articles, columns and newsletters that went under other names. Is that unethical? As long as they accurately reflect the thoughts of the signer, I don't see why I can't supply the words. OK, blogs are by definition (allegedly) "transparent"--open, honest, and candid. (Should I admit I edit my blog posts before posting them? Will I be drummed out of the blogosphere?) But blogs are not legal documents… or Holy Writ.
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