Not sure if you’ve been following the debate on Ghost blogging. It’s a topic (not as simmering as ‘Blogola,’ for instance) that’s been popping up now and then that’s worth discussing if you’re in PR, marketing or media relations. Why? Because of our vested interests in transparency (or the lack thereof), and the power of authenticity.

I spotted an interesting comment from the CEO of Reuters, who’s been blogging, but not been a celebrated blogger like Sun Microsystem’s Jonathan Schwartz, for instance.

Responding to a question if he was actually the person behind the blog, he was pretty candid: Yes, it was him, but on occasion, he phoned in his post and dictated it to his assistant, who transcribed it and posted it.

Sallie Goetsch has a long, well thought-out post on the topic. In a situation where many CEOs speak “bland corporate drivel,” a ghost writer is able to channel those ideas.

Someone who shoots  from the hip and doesn’t know what corporate drivel is, is Bob Lutz. GM’s CEO. He talks all things automotive, and they don’t seem to moderate (read: delete) negative posts. Last week he addressed the sticking point about not posting often enough. To which he apologized, and shot back at his critics who thought he had got bored with blogging. Interestingly, in his defense, visitors to the blog came out in support. There were 95 comments as of today.

People need to give CEO bloggers a break. They do have real jobs, but the fact that they are inviting a conversation, whether they are dictating their posts, or taking some breaks between them, is still admirable. No one seems to get too upset with people who send out press releases with predictable verbiage, made-up quotes, and sentences often pulled off their spec sheets and web site.

At least these guys like Schwartz, Lutz, and Glocer are trying.