PR pros from Google, McDonald's and ConAgra got together yesterday in Chicago to discuss the changing media landscape and how they're dealing with it.

Chicago Tribune tech reporter Eric Benderoff was there to chronicle the discussion.

Many of the usual subjects were covered: increased message testing, engaging consumers, setting up community sites. However this point from McDonald's director of U.S. communications Heather Oldani, in reference to the fast food chain's employee social network, Station M, stood out among the others.

"The goal is not to make this a corporate site," she said. "We want the employees to take ownership." To help, one "crew" member won a contest and has been taken off fryer duty for a year to become the site's official blogger.

From fryer duty to blogger in just one contest - not bad at all. We can imagine that employee comes home from work smelling a lot nicer.

[Image: Rick, McDonald's official blogger, is no longer working the deep fryer]