Thanks to everyone for pointing me to this article at The Independent, the UK newspaper:

PR stunt or the new journalism?: The titans of public relations are going direct to viewers and readers - Press, Media - The Independent

...Sambrook is convinced that Edelman's clients must take their message directly to the consumer. "The mantra is that every company has to be a media company in their own right, telling their own stories not just through websites but through branded entertainment, video, iPad and mobile applications," he says.

Here are some more extracts:

At the forefront of this change is Edelman, an American-owned PR firm with 51 offices around the world. When in February Edelman hired Richard Sambrook, the former head of BBC News, the audacious appointment caused surprise in all disciplines of the media.

It wasn't just that Sambrook was a corporation stalwart of 30 years standing, but that Edelman had given him an intriguing new title: Chief Content Officer. Last week the company went further by hiring as its new head of strategy the influential business journalist Stefan Stern, a marquee name on the Financial Times.

All good stuff.

However, knowing how I know PR people to be, they love to control every message. Journalists are trained to be fair in their reporting and question the claims of companies and executives. That's not something you'll find within Edelman or any of the large PR agencies.

PR agencies need to change too. Simply hiring journalists without changing their internal culture won't change a thing.

Please see: Every Company is a Media Company - EC=MC - the transformative equation for business.