We're approaching the end of the 21st century's first decade. The world is smaller than ever thanks, in no small measure, to the democratization of information engineered by the Internet. Social media and networking platforms enable people who have never met to form close bonds and fruitful relationships; “Facebooking” is just one of the newly coined verbs I've heard to describe this.

So, it bewilders me that a significant proportion of PR programs continue to use 20th century thinking and base ...