3 ms·

I truly do not get it. PR exists to serve its clients. Control and spread specific messages is the job. I don't think anyone has any illusion about that. Tech

I truly do not get it. PR exists to serve its clients. Control and spread specific messages is the job. I don't think anyone has any illusion about that. Tech industry and tech journalism is weird. Most of the writers do not investigate or do any leg work for that matter (hauling their asses to WWDC is apparently too much work and too costly, so they demand realtime webcast). The majority of tech blog posts are dressed up PR pieces maybe with some attempt snarkiness and editorialization, the others are scoops(with fuzzy pictures!!!) or reviews or personal opinion/rant. The gist is this: we do not get truth or plain news anymore (or ever did). The media have their angles and the companies represented by the PR firm have agendas too, but together they produce large amount of purposeful info everyday and millions of clicks. If this symbiotic relationship can be defined as war, then yes and Oceania is at war with Eurasia.

knowtheory 15y ago
I mean... that's the same sort of argument that politicians wield to depress voter turnout, so that only partisans will vote (thereby polarizing political narratives further). There are partisans in the world, get over it. We have to deal with their bullshit, or be overwhelmed with it. The fact that nobody is giving it to you straight doesn't mean that we don't have interests that should be served, nor does it mean that we shouldn't speak up. "A pox on all houses" is a convenient expression to reach for when frustrated, but it's not a functioning strategy to live by. I know what my interests are. I'll take the story, when it's relevant.
- AllenKids 15y ago
  I think you misunderstand me. I absolutely agree that the audience should have a say and be more proactive in this whole thing. My point is PR firms have no obligation whatsoever to serve the readers, or to make bloggers' life easier. They are not representatives of the mass after all. MG's moral high ground and his holy crusade seems rather odd.

knowtheory 15y ago

I mean... that's the same sort of argument that politicians wield to depress voter turnout, so that only partisans will vote (thereby polarizing political narratives further). There are partisans in the world, get over it. We have to deal with their bullshit, or be overwhelmed with it. The fact that nobody is giving it to you straight doesn't mean that we don't have interests that should be served, nor does it mean that we shouldn't speak up. "A pox on all houses" is a convenient expression to reach for when frustrated, but it's not a functioning strategy to live by. I know what my interests are. I'll take the story, when it's relevant.

AllenKids 15y ago
I think you misunderstand me. I absolutely agree that the audience should have a say and be more proactive in this whole thing. My point is PR firms have no obligation whatsoever to serve the readers, or to make bloggers' life easier. They are not representatives of the mass after all. MG's moral high ground and his holy crusade seems rather odd.