How to respond to negative comments in blogs and forums is a challenge that preoccupies many an organization, and many an organization's hardworking PR man. It turns out that even the police in Henan, Anhui and Hunan have given some thought to how to control negative comments made about them on local blogs and BBS, as discussed in an interesting post from China Digital Times:

In recent years, negative news reporting about police often appears on the Internet. This not only reduces public trust in the police, but also creates a serious image crisis for the public security organs. In order to effectively avoid exposure of negative reports while the police are on duty, Jiaozuo City Public Security Bureau established an emergency mechanism to analyze “public opinion.” This is an effective solution for the “bottleneck” in public security work.

On the morning of August 10, 2007, because of a traffic dispute, one Internet user in Jiaozuo posted malicious slander about the police in an online forum, and many Netizens forwarded comments without knowing the truth. This had a direct impact on the image and reputation of the police. Ten minutes after the message was released, the internet commentator (Fifty Cent Party) invited by Jiaozuo City Public Security Bureau, discovered and promptly reported it to the public relations department, which immediately organized its network of more than 120 staff to post in the forum calling for the truth and setting the record straight.

Twenty minutes later, the voices supporting the police became mainstream, and many netizens started to “denounce” the person who posted the original comment. The network is a success story of how the Jiaozuo police deal with online incidents involving their department.

Not quite the Chinese "Internet police" we're used to thinking of -- those mythical 30,000 so often cited in the media. In China blogs and especially forums are particularly sensitive to "gun hands" (枪手 - sometimes also translated as "seeders"), commenters who appear to be shilling or spamming for companies. Applied to the police, the term "gun hand" takes on just a little extra zing, doesn't it?

In fact, there is plenty of precedent for what the police are doing. It's a common tactic in corporate PR to create what is sometimes euphemistically known as a "truth squad", a group of people who can comment on your behalf on blogs and (less often in the West) forums. At their best, which is still a bit suspect, truth squads are composed of cultivated third-parties who support your point of view and are prepared to go to bat for you. At their worst, their company employees or representatives who don't identify themselves.

The reason why I say that truth squads at their best are still a bit suspect is a truth squad is typically an organized entity that is directed into action, which means that the hands of the company are still involved. Imagethief, however, is a big fan of transparency, and thinks that it's proper to say who are and who you represent when posting online. Yes, that means I hold corporate voices to a higher standard than the legion of anonymous angry flamers that infests the Internet. Nobody said PR was fair.

Imagethief thinks that one of the best way to address online criticism is participate transparently and accessibly in the online environment, perhaps with a clearly marked corporate blog written by people with some spunk and humanity. Another effective defense against critical online posts and comments is to cultivate over time a group of committed fans or supporters who are ready to independently defend you out of genuine passion. They shouldn't have to be marched into action; they should be willing to volunteer.
 
That's a hard PR slog, however, and while it's conceivable for a consumer brand like Apple to cultivating that kind of loyalty and passion, it's harder to imagine the Chinese cops --or any cops-- pulling it off. Good thing they can always round up a posse of gun hands.

Drop the keyboard, pardner...