Good writers can take a topic that has been written to death and turn it into an engaging piece of journalism, editorial, marketing collateral, etc.
I happen to work with a great writer (and no I'm not just saying that because he's my boss). But check out this piece he wrote for The PR Strategist about brands and the social media rollercoaster.
He's right on the money. Every brand knows about social media. They know they should be doing it. They know that it can be fun. However, how many are really taking the plunge and succeeding? It can be done. Brands just have to think strategy before technology.