The Rockstar Tech Writer

7 comments to The Rockstar Tech Writer

• John E. Bredehoft

  February 4, 2013 at 4:14 pm · Reply

  One thought on journalists not inserting themselves into the story – some actually do. Woodward and Bernstein were portrayed by movie stars on film, and Woodward in particular has scored various coups because of his celebrity – namely, getting John Belushi’s friends to be interviewed for the book that became Wired. Mike Wallace and Sam Donaldson had clearly distinctive styles that gave them fame.

  However, one thing is true about the four journalists that I mentioned – they all did their homework, and they all knew their stuff. There are other journalists that I’d put in that category, including Howard Cosell and (sometimes) Geraldo Rivera. If they had not done their homework, they would not have achieved the fame and celebrity that they did.

  Agreed, however, that such a level of dedication is hard to find today.

• Loren

  February 4, 2013 at 4:17 pm · Reply

  W and B were part of the story. Geraldo is a goof. Howie was the best.

• Catherine Fitzpatrick

  February 4, 2013 at 4:44 pm · Reply

  Marshall McLuhan used to say the bad news of the news in the newspaper helps to sell the good news of the ads.

  In tech publications, the good news of the tech writing sells the bad news of the tech that often breaks or has to have a new iteration almost right after you buy the last version of the gadget.

  If these guys want to call themselves journalists, and not preparers of liner notes, they should at least report on the main components of the tech stories out there. Like why can’t Declan McCullough, by about his 6th story on the subject, admit that Aaron Swartz was offered a 6-month plea bargain? That’s a story that you report on day one, minutes after the Boston Globe reports it, not “never”.

  I never heard of those two guys from the Verge, even though I do turn to the Verge occasionally if it shows up in a feed somewhere. I’m just that much removed, as a norm.

  And hey, I don’t even mind if you want to call your press release redaction “rock star” work, but that’s not even what you’re doing: Greg Sandoval and friends are acting like they’re Martin Luther King and Gandhi for taking some star turn over some instruction from their boss about conflicts of interest. You know, that thing that all these publications are just so great at avoiding, right?

• c3

  February 4, 2013 at 5:44 pm · Reply

  for a decade now ive noted the rise of the “pundit writer-reporter” who raises themselves above the “clebrity” factor of the actual “talent” they are “reporting about”…. its mainly due to the web/ blogger /meme and the need to adword/ monetize or get a one of the few blogger/ jobs from these cheap orgs like cnet or verge, who will just brand themselves into buyouts..ex CBS… or Viacom(verge to be)
  its “reality tv celebrity” MIPS stuff… but it does show how we have no idea how to judge any “talent” anymore except for self promotion.

  one can see how tech/startups with enormous vc money tossed at them, with no real products or business, would increase this type of no nothing writing and ad clicking in the guise of journalism….

• Loren

  February 4, 2013 at 6:18 pm · Reply

  we have no idea how to judge any “talent” anymore except for self promotion.

  This

• Fred Grott

  February 5, 2013 at 6:05 pm · Reply

  Loren, where did you find that jacket? did you rob the ‘von-zipper’ character from that beach movie?

  • Loren

    February 5, 2013 at 6:10 pm · Reply

    That my friend is a real Schott motorcycle jacket. I’ve had it since I’m 17.