Tag Archives: Technology coverage
Tech reporters and the swag from Google
by Chris Roush
Jeff Saginor of The American Prospect writes about the free gifts that Google gives away at its annual tech conference to reporters who cover the company.
Saginor writes, “But Google isn’t really courting developers with events such as this; it’s courting the media. It wants its latest innovations blasted across the Internet’s echo chambers. So this year at I/O, Google upped the ante, giving everyone in attendance a Chromebook Pixel — a laptop running Google’s own operating system, retailing for $1,299. It’s the equivalent of Apple handing everyone a MacBook Pro on the way out the door. It made headlines across the web. And it’s everything that’s wrong with tech reporting.
“Technology events are not giveaways for Oprah’s favorite things—journalists don’t get to go home with bags full of expensive toys and then pretend to critically cover the companies that bribe them. As James Temple explains in The San Francisco Chronicle, tech writers will ‘tell you they’re routinely offered pricey gift baskets and all manner of smart phones, software, tablets and computers, often with no obligation to return or write about them.’ And last year, Brad Stone of Businessweek wrote that reporters at a Spotify launch party in San Francisco were treated to $300 bottles of tequila as parting gifts. It happens constantly. Of course most reporters don’t accept the gifts. But the casual relationship undermines the nature of serious technology reporting.
“Yes, for the most part gadgets are fun and cool and what’s the harm? But Google—for instance—has a long history of invasive advertising practices that get into some very murky questions regarding our civil liberties. By assuming that the bloggers and journalists in attendance would accept such a lavish gift, Google appears deeply cynical. And the media comes off as profoundly clueless.”
Read more here.
What’s wrong with Windows 8?
by Liz Hester
Microsoft executives were unusually candid with reporters about the growing pains of it new Windows 8 operating system. As always when a large company’s future is being staked on a specific product, it’s progress generates coverage.
Here’s the story from the Wall Street Journal:
A Microsoft executive is acknowledging what many tech-watchers already knew: The company’s Windows 8 software hasn’t gone off without a hitch, and Microsoft is turning itself inside out to respond.
Last fall’s launch of the new operating system was supposed to be a milestone to catapult Microsoft and its allies into the market for new kinds of computing devices–including tablets and convertible products–and help generally get consumers more interested in buying new PCs. Six months after the operating software’s debut, it isn’t yet a hit by the accounts of some PC executives and research firms.
One market-research firm, IDC, went so far as to say that Windows 8 did more than fail to revive the PC market–it actually turned off users with changes to basic elements of the widely used operating system.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal last week, Windows co-head Tami Reller was more candid than other Microsoft executives in saying Windows 8 hasn’t come on like gangbusters, though she said the company is seeing steady if not steep sales progress. She said Microsoft has sold more than 100 million Windows 8 licenses.
Without offering many details yet, Ms. Reller outlined how Microsoft is working on changing software features, helping people overcome obstacles to learning the revamped software, altering the shopping experience for consumers, getting more of people’s favorite apps available for Windows 8 and making sure a wider array of Windows 8 computing devices will be on sale.
As someone who recently tried to navigate Windows 8 on my parents’ new laptop after nearly a decade of using Apple products, I found it nearly impossible to figure out. Apparently, I’m not alone, according to CNN Money:
Many users have found the new operating system difficult to pick up. Some of the top complaints: The lack of the “Start” button that had been around since 1995, hidden menu items and multiple locations for settings.
More than 2,400 different devices now run Windows 8, but many still lack touch capabilities that make the operating system really shine. The Windows 8 device lineup is also scant on smaller tablet options, including the seven-inch and eight-inch varieties popularized by the Apple iPad mini and Amazon Kindle Fire.
Microsoft said it has a plan to address all of those problems. Here’s the biggest piece: The company will launch an update to Windows 8, codenamed “Blue,” by this year’s holiday season. Microsoft was skimpy on details, but rumors include the return of the Start button and changes to make apps easier and more intuitive to use. The company said it will reveal more about that update in the coming weeks.
Microsoft defended the product’s sales and those of PCs while also moving to allow more devices to run the system, the New York Times said:
Ms. Reller said Microsoft’s own research on Windows 8 usage patterns showed that customer satisfaction with the system was on par with that of Windows 7, when the Windows 8 users being analyzed have tablets or other systems equipped with touch screens. Of people with conventional PCs, operated by keyboard and mice or trackpads, Ms. Reller said, “We need to help them learn faster.”
In another development, Ms. Reller said Microsoft was allowing its hardware partners to make Windows 8 tablets with screen sizes in the range of seven to eight inches, smaller than the nine-inch-plus tablets that have been available so far. That could give Microsoft a stronger answer to the iPad mini, which has been a strong seller for Apple.
Ms. Reller described Windows Blue several times as an “update” to Windows 8, though she wouldn’t say whether the software would be available free to people who have already bought Windows 8 computers. The company has already issued hundreds of smaller updates to Windows 8 that are automatically downloaded to users’ computers.
Ms. Reller said Microsoft had sold about 100 million licenses for Windows 8 since the software was introduced, roughly in line with the number of Windows 7 licenses sold in the comparable amount of time after its introduction. While research firms like IDC are showing double-digit declines in PC shipments, Ms. Reller said those figures reflected sales into retail channels, not to actual customers. She said Microsoft was seeing consistent growth in PCs going through the online activation process that everyone with a new PC has to do.
Either way, the launch and its subsequent problems isn’t helping Microsoft’s reputation or encouraging device makers to invest in the technology. The reputational damage may be more than it can overcome. At the least, it needs to make the technology more accessible on PCs. But if may be too late to salvage the system’s reputation as the next big innovation.
Marketwatch EIC Krim named WSJ’s tech editor/SF bureau chief
by Chris Roush
Wall Street Journal managing editor Gerard Baker sent out the following staff promotion on Monday:
I’m delighted to announce that Jonathan Krim is appointed Technology Editor and San Francisco Bureau Chief for The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones.
In his new role, Jonathan will lead our global coverage of technology and drive expansion of tech readership around the world. The Journal’s unrivalled global reach makes us uniquely placed to produce the most comprehensive, lively and authoritative reporting of this most important business sector. From breaking news in real time on some of the best-known companies in the world to providing the most insightful analysis of where tech is headed to providing fast and in-depth reporting on tech finance and innovation, Jonathan will lead an expanded team to ever greater journalistic dominance.
Jonathan is an experienced journalist with a rich background in technology and general news coverage. He spent 17 years at the San Jose Mercury News in Silicon Valley, where, among other roles, he oversaw business and technology coverage. Among his many successes, he led prize-winning coverage of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos’s international finances and the northern California earthquake of 1989. He also covered technology policy for The Washington Post.
Jonathan is a digital innovator and has successfully managed major online publications. Most recently, he oversaw Marketwatch, where, during his two-year tenure, site visits increased nearly 50%. Prior to his stint at Marketwatch, Jonathan was Deputy Managing Editor for washingtonpost.com and Senior Deputy Managing Editor for WSJ.com.
Jonathan will report to Dennis Berman, Business Editor for Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal.
CNNMoney pulls back from its H-P/dancers story
by Chris Roush
Arik Hesseldahl of All Things D writes that CNNMoney.com has basically retraced a story about Hewlett-Packard that stated the computer company had hired dancers for $20,000 to encourage its workers to be creative.
Hesseldahl writes, “The extent of HP’s relationship with the dance troupe appears to be that it was invited to dance at the Boise campus on a day when local charitable groups — the Trey McIntyre Project is a not-for-profit organization — solicit contributions from employees.
“HP complained to CNNMoney, which has since altered the story considerably. A headline that first read, ‘Why Hewlett-Packard is hiring dancers’ now reads ‘Dance troupe markets creativity to cube-dwellers,’ and is accompanied by a lengthy correction note. I asked CNNMoney tech editor Stacy Cowley for a comment, and she basically pointed me to the editor’s note that’s now topping the story.
“It reads:
‘An earlier version of this story mischaracterized the relationship between Hewlett-Packard and the Trey McIntyre Project. The dance troupe has performed at HP’s Boise office several times as part of a company event showcasing the area’s artistic organizations and charities, but HP has not hired or paid TMP for its creative services. The text of this article has been updated and corrected. CNNMoney regrets the error.’
“I also reached out to Cheryl Strauss Einhorn, the writer of the piece, and haven’t yet heard back.”
Read more here.
WSJ seeks Internet reporter
by Chris Roush
Wall Street Journal San Francisco bureau chief Steve Yoder sent out the following to the newspaper’s staff:
The Journal’s integrated San Francisco bureau is seeking a seasoned reporter to cover news on Internet companies for all WSJ outlets.
The reporter’s primary duty will be producing real-time news and scoops on Web companies such as Google, Yahoo, Amazon.com, eBay, Facebook, Groupon, Zynga, LinkedIn, Twitter and Yelp—and on other companies that will inevitably emerge from the primordial soup of innovation that is Silicon Valley. The reporter will work closely with other tech reporters in San Francisco and with Journal reporters around the globe.
The reporter will also generate enterprise stories on the Internet beat and on the broader technology industry, will contribute to the Journal’s San Francisco Bay Area pages and will be encouraged to identify and produce occasional aheds. Experience covering technology is a plus but isn’t required.
If you’re interested or want more information, please contact Steve Yoder or Don Clark.
Swisher succeeds by making more phone calls than her competition
by Chris Roush
Andrea Williams of MediaBistro.com interviewed All Things D’s Kara Swisher about how she covers the technology beat.
Here is an excerpt:
You’re known for breaking stories and getting scoops before anyone else. Which one are you most proud of or excited you the most when you were writing it?
I’m pleased, obviously, with some of the stories around Yahoo! and the different CEO problems that they had. I think one of the things that was difficult then is that people kept saying I was wrong — and then I was correct. So that’s nice. I think it’s the consistently being accurate that’s heartening for us on our site. There’s so much speculation and rumor mongering, that it’s really nice to stick to getting it right every time. We really spend a lot of time on building relationships. And so when everyone is like, “How do you break so many stories?” it’s because I build relationships. I do it the old-fashioned way, and I build sourcing relationships, and then I take advantage of those relationships over time. So, whenever someone says, “Oh, how do you do it?” I tell them that I make more calls then they do. I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. People make a bigger deal of it, but I think I just work harder than other people. That’s all. There’s no secret sauce or anything.
How can other journalists become influential in their own reporting?
Well, it’s really easy. Be accurate; know your stuff. I think what’s really amazing is that people just jump into it without any kind of expertise. People just start mouthing off on things or printing rumors without doing any checking, and they think that’s the way to glory. It’s the way to laziness. And I think the way to be an influential journalist is to be accurate and to be fair and to get things right and to really characterize things in an honest way, versus being really snarky or cheerleading. There’s sort of a happy medium between them, where you’re excited about some of the things, but at the same time, you want to give the reader the truth because this stuff can get hyped pretty quickly.
Read more here.
Why Dan Lyons left business journalism
by Chris Roush
Dan Lyons, the former tech reporter for Newsweek and Forbes, writes about why he left business journalism.
Lyons writes, “I also had grown less and less enchanted with the kind of work I was doing as a “mainstream” journalist.
“Media companies need a new way to make money — one that doesn’t depend on advertising. But so far nobody has come up with anything. That wouldn’t be so bad, if at least they were aware of this problem. The truly scary thing to me is that publishers either aren’t aware of this, or won’t admit it.
“Instead of inventing a new business model, media companies keep trying to tweak the old one. By that I mean they keep trying to invent new kinds of advertising. It’s a pointless exercise. They’re like blacksmiths who are responding to Henry Ford and his automobile by trying to create a better horseshoe.
“For a long time I didn’t want to admit how serious and profound were the challenges facing the media business. I wanted to believe, as many still do, that somehow everything will work out. Like most journalists, I get a little romantic about the news business.
“But the thing is, I’m also a business journalist. As a business journalist, I could see the disruption taking place. I could see that the entire foundation of the industry was crumbling. And I knew that when that happens, in any industry, it’s time to get out.”
Read more here.
Xconomy launches Xperience coverage
by Chris Roush
Xconomy, a website that covers entrepreneurs and innovators, is unveiling Xperience, a new section that aims to guide readers to the best new tools for their
lifestyles.
While the main Xconomy site will continue to focus on hyperlocal coverage of Xconomy’s seven innovation hubs, Xperience will cover the most intriguing new technologies for consumers, wherever they’re being invented.
“You can think of it like the ‘lifestyle’ or ‘weekend’ section of a business newspaper, except that we’ll publish throughout the week,” says Xconomy chief correspondent and San Francisco editor Wade Roush, who will manage the new section. “The goal is to bring readers informative, entertaining articles about how technology is changing life for everyone.”
Xperience articles will show how Internet, mobile, and hardware technologies are giving consumers exciting new choices in markets such as education, healthcare, travel, fashion, food, fitness, and entertainment. Gadget and app reviews will appear right alongside thoughtful essays, profiles of game-changing companies, and the occasional offbeat or humorous story about technology’s impact on our
culture.
Read more here.
Xconomy hires East Coast biotech editor
by Chris Roush
Ben Fidler is the new East Coast biotech editor for Xconomy.
Luke Timmerman writes, “Ben joins us after spending the last nine years as a business reporter with The Deal in New York. He’s written all kinds of breaking news and feature stories in his time there, and spent the last two years learning the scientific, medical, and business nuances of the healthcare beat. Like all really good business reporters, he knows his way around public records and also has a deep curiosity and instinct for the human side of a story.
“Ben has covered a wide variety of stories in his career, including the bankruptcies of GM and Chrysler, the fall of a professional hockey franchise, and more recently, some notable deals in healthcare—like AstraZeneca’s recent partnership with Cambridge, MA-based Moderna Therapeutics, and Genentech’s alliance with Cambridge, MA-based Constellation Pharmaceuticals. The learning curve is steeper in biotech than almost any other business reporting beat, but Ben has already shown he can climb. He’s eager to climb some more, and share what he learns on this adventure with you, the readers of Xconomy.
“Ben will be based in New York, and as his title suggests, he will be focused on life sciences innovation in Xconomy’s two East Coast geographies — Boston and New York. For my part, I’ll continue to roam around the Xconomy map in search of stories, but I’ll be putting most of my reporting focus on the West Coast.”
Read more here.
AllThingsD adds e-commerce reporter
by Chris Roush
Jason Del Rey has been hired to work at AllThingsD, where he will be covering e-commerce.
A story on its website states, “That includes such critical companies as Amazon, Groupon, eBay and the fast-growing online payments business, as well the escalation of the Internet of Things and the continued mashup of the offline and online worlds.
“Del Rey is perfectly suited to the task, having been a business journalist since 2007, when he joined Inc. magazine in order to write about startups and fast-growing small businesses across all industries.
“He was most recently a reporter at Advertising Age, where he covered older digital media companies such as Yahoo and AOL, and upstarts such as BuzzFeed and Gawker Media.
“Del Rey has also worked as the executive editor of Open Forum, a Web publication for small business owners and entrepreneurs. He is a graduate of Georgetown University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.”
Read more here.
