Sam Biddle of Valleywag writes about how the journalists covering Apple are doing the company’s bidding.
Biddle writes, “In about a week, Apple will announce a new phone. This will become national news, and coverage of a piece of metal, plastic and glass will dwarf that of human suffering here and abroad. You’ve probably already read some exciting things about the iPhone 6, even though it doesn’t technically exist yet, and is a ‘big secret.’ That’s not an accident—Apple makes reporters do their advertising.
“Apple blogger child prodigy Mark Gurman’s recent profile of the Cupertino PR machine is a terrific read from someone with deep knowledge of the company’s deviousness. You should read the entire thing. But ahead of the release of the iPhone 6, one section sticks out in particular: ‘Strategies: The ‘Art of Deep Background’ and Controlling the Press.’
“That’s where you come in. Almost everything you read about a new Apple product in mainstream websites and newspapers is engineered by Apple itself, part of a large, ever-churning strategy to create hype and in turn drive sales. By treating itself like a mix between the Gestapo and DARPA, Apple’s vise-grip on information makes any details a golden commodity. Apple scoops are the most coveted among tech and business journalists. An email from Apple is a favor from Apple. A story from Apple is a great day. You’re lucky to be invited.”
Read more here.
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When I covered Apple for the San Jose Mercury News in the mid-1980s the company's PR team, then led by Barbara Krause, was a well oiled operation. I never signed non-disclosure yet broke a lot of stories - including new products and Steve Jobs' resignation. There are plenty of market analysts and others who sign non-disclosure and violate it. There are employees who will talk. Ad there are a lot of other ways, including a dogged effort to know Apple engineers and evangelists, to learn what's happening at Apple and break stories. Reporting the company line is not good for shareholders, customers or employees. Signing non-disclosure is the slippery slope to avoid.