Google/YouTube News Coverage Dissected

Now that nearly every blogger, media outlet and pundit has offered perspectives on Google’s acquisition of YouTube, it may seem there’s little left to analyze for now. However, there’s at least one related topic worth noting, particularly for public relations professionals: how the acquisition story spread.

Here’s a good blog post – or autopsy, as the title calls it – about how the news developed. A quick overview:

• The first rumor is posted by TechCrunch on October 6.
• Within hours, the post is noted by bloggers across the world.
• Fueled by a prominent spot on Digg, the story receives a fresh round of coverage and analysis in the blogosphere the next day.
• Traditional media reacts; The Wall Street Journal is believed to be the first traditional outlet to report the rumors.
• Other news outlets pick it up and add new angles over the weekend; the news becomes official on Monday.

As the post notes, the story gained tremendous momentum through blogs, forums, news aggregators and RSS feeds before traditional media joined the mix. The credibility, accuracy and reliability of the new channels can be debated, but this story illustrates how public relations professionals must account for this potential news flow and sequence.