Web 2.0 Companies Gearing Up for a Media Onslaught?

This week has seen Facebook has shortlisted 12 PR agencies to provide their new UK office with PR Services. LinkedIn have signed up Bite, Bebo have appointed Portland PR and last month Myspace appointed Lexis to look after their brand reputation.

It's either the case that the social networking sites are either looking for an edge to steal a march on their competitors or that they're gearing themselves up for a media onslaught as is generally the case when the euphoria and general excitement for a new kind of service subsides and the media decide to turn the tables?

We've already had the stories about "social sites becoming too much of a good thing", the concerns over Facebook and privacy and the potential impact on children's learning. I feel that the media will be scrutinising over the next big negative story and the social media sites will need as much help as they can.

We've had all the bubbles of the past where the public relations was a shambles in the majority of cases and with so much money at stake its not surprising that they would want to make sure the machinations of the media don't exert too much of a pressure on the already waining public confidence.

P.S. If you want some staggering Facebook usage stats then read the Guardian Blog Post.