How Apple dominates tech coverage

Apple receives about 15.1 percent of tech news coverage, compared to 11.4 percent for Google and just 3 percent for Microsoft, according to a Pew Research Center study.

Brian Stelter of the New York Times writes, “It’s not as if Microsoft lacks for public relations people. But Apple is especially effective at seizing journalists’ attention, said Amy S. Mitchell, the deputy director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, citing the anticipation for new devices and Apple’s ‘very public way of releasing products.’

“Apple software powers only a tiny slice of the world’s computers, an area dominated by Microsoft. But its popular and innovative iPods and iPhones helped Apple exceed Microsoft’s market capitalization earlier this year.

“Ms. Mitchell said she was surprised by the extent of Apple’s domination of the media’s diet, ‘even over Google.’

“The Pew study, to be released on Monday, assessed technology coverage by 52 newspapers, broadcast and Web sites from June 2009 through June 2010. The release of a new version of the iPhone was the No. 2 most-talked-about tech story during that time, representing 6.4 percent of all coverage, and the release of the iPad was No. 4, representing 4.6 percent.”

Read more here.