Sen. Charles Schumer delivering his keynote this morning at Internet Week NY

As mentioned in a previous post, Katherine Oliver, a commissioner from NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg‘s office, mentioned the importance of the city’s tech industry during her opening remarks at Internet Week NY. That message was reiterated by Sen. Charles Schumer, who delivered the first keynote speech, which outlined why he believes New York is best suited to be the nation’s tech hub and how the city will overtake Silicon Valley.

Going way back to the origins of New York City as a manufacturing leader, Sen. Schumer brought his keynote to the present, where the city’s “existing diversification” and the ability to adapt will help it to climb to the top of heap of cities that are leaders in the innovation economy.

He’s proposing the creation of a working group, with help from Mayor Bloomberg and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, that will realize his 25-year goal to lead in the high-tech area through public-private partnership. A strong and vibrant enhanced high-tech industry here in NYC could open doors for lots of other industries, including PR.

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[Bloggers & journalists throwing down on sponsors' dime, via RandomNightOut]

In the debate about journalism ethics after Thrillist’s Jet Mystery junket last week, there were no flies on the company or sponsors. The disclaimer, that a few journalists didn’t match up with their contracts, clearly gives the option to pay for the trip (the text is visible in Gawker’s scan of the invite):

“Media rates are available for reporters who feel obliged to pay for the trip: tell us if you’re interested and we’ll let you know what they are.”

We checked in with Thrillist Director of Communications Flavie Bagnol who told us the same blow-back happened last year, and put perspective on the blog swarm. “People are digging into this to make it something that it is not,” she said. “I think The New York Times has much bigger fish to fry than looking into the life of a freelance journalist who was not even covering the trip.”

Bagnol also pointed out that the journalist partly responsible for igniting the swarm, did the same thing last year after their Vegas launch junket, “Jeff Bercovici seems to love the topic–or lacks imagination.”

More after the jump:

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In the wake of FTC clampdown on blogger payola, and just plain bad offers to buy coverage, Thrillist and title sponsor Jet Blue are doing it right, flying 70 bloggers and journalists to an undisclosed location for a 3-day party.

The mystery weekend in summer 2008 to Las Vegas earned coverage in Elle.com, CoolHunting, PRWeek, HuffingtonPost and others. This time around the party will amass alot of hashtag love and re-tweets from both Thrillist and from JetBlue (3.5 million followers), and make Director of Communications Flavie Bagnol dozens of media contacts for life.

We know from #jetmystery that Mashable COO Adam Hirsch, Newsweek’s Kurt Soller, PSFK blogger Dan Gould, and RandomNightOut blogger/photographer Nick McGlynn will need a release form, swimwear and something to wear to a “white party”.

We don’t see a booze sponsor this time, though Starbucks promises in a press release to keep them all buzzed on VIA.

PR pros looking to make a dent in Hamptons media have new outlet to pitch. Thrillist, the daily email list for dudes, launched a Hamptons edition this weekend. This PRNewser was at the launch party at the Day & Night Restaurant Beach Club in Southampton alongside other media including CNET’s Caroline McCarthy, CBS’ Hazel Sanchez, Contentinople’s Ryan Lawler, MediaPost’s Kelly Samaradak and PR pros including Time Out New York Publicity Manager Lindsay Kaplan and Simply Chic PR’s Justine McCarthy.

Thrillist Director of Communications – and quite possibly the best party host in New York – Flavie Bagnol tells PRNewser that Nick Bennett is editing the site. It will keep with Thrillist’s mission of delivering “the daily drop on the Hamptons’ newest restaurants, nightlife, entertainment, travel, style, services, gadgets, and more.” Got a good pitch? Email Bennett here.

[Image: Nick McGlynn]