The five screen shouting match between Dan Lyons (Fake Steve Jobs) and various CNBC anchors was gold, gold, gold!
Lyons: “there are two kinds of reporters who cover Apple. The kind who realize they’re getting snowed and they’re getting bullied and blocked out, and realize that a lot of what they’re being told is not true — and the other kind, who suck up in order to get access and end up getting played and punked. Like your Valley bureau chief got played and punked by Apple.”
I've gotta say, I 100% agree with Lyons on this one. The number of journos who say things like "Apple never comments so there's no point even trying to get a comment from them" is disturbing. For some reason, just because Apple has obstructive PR policies worldwide, journalists forget their basic journalistic training and often just accept what they're told.
Personally I love the stuff that Apple makes, and I wish them well as a company, but the brick wall PR strategy just makes me try 10 times harder to hold them accountable for product quality, truth in advertising, pricing, customer service and other important issues that all large companies should be scrutinised over.
- Apple grilled by judge in Think Secret lawsuit
- Seven deadly PR sins
- Telstra, oh puhleeze!
- AMAZING Virgin Blue email marketing error: congrats – you're Gold. No you're not.
- Shock: Gusworld prefers dial-up
#1 by David on January 15, 2009 - 1:25 pm
Personally, I felt Lyons' point was more about journos who swallow and repeat the Apple line and/or generally suck up to Apple, rather than journos who simple accept the brutally effective 'no comment' shtick. I think we've all seen journalists who take whatever Apple says as gospel and repeat it unchallenged, even unquestioned, and thus become a mere corporate schill with near-zero credibility where Apple is concerned.
#2 by Scott KIlmartin on January 16, 2009 - 1:42 am
Dan, that is gold… ring the bell ! go back to your corners and come out swinging.