NONE: Re: ONLINE-ADS>> $1,027 - the price of journalistic ethics?
Re: ONLINE-ADS>> $1,027 - the price of journalistic ethics?
Steve Kruse (skruse_at_pacbell.net)
Mon, 5 Jan 1998 22:52:47 -0800
Cliff Kurtzman <cliff_at_tenagra.com> wrote:
>Steve Kruse wrote a note about how he does not consider trade magazine
>writers as real journalists. I have a good bit of experience being
>interviewed or quoted as an "expert" for Internet stories in both the trade
>and general press. In addition, a service my company provides distributes
>links to all the Year 2000 computing news stories that appear online in
>both the general and trade press, so I have a chance to read several
>hundred such stories on this single topic each month. I can tell you that
>there is often a very substantative difference in quality of reporting
>between the trade press coverage and the general press coverage, and the
>quality leans very heavily in favor of the trade press.
No doubt that the trade press would do a better job on the above topics
than the general press - especially the business page boys. That's why they
fit the "trade press" designation - they are experts in a particular area
and provide coverage on issues related to the trade.
My first assignment as a "Journalist" was to cover a head-on collision
where an entire family of four (including two very young children) were
wiped out by a drunk driver. I also spent over a year investigating a
crooked sheriff in my local county and had my life threatened on several
occasions. The sheriff and several local mob members are now still behind
bars. They did managed to murder two potential key witnesses along the way
before they were finally indicted, tried and convicted.
My favorite piece concerned a mother on welfare and her four kids that were
to be evicted from a trailer park because their septic tank failed and site
condemned. I ran the story in regards to her plight and an old farmer (in
his late 60's) came to my office in his beat up pick-up truck and work
coveralls. He handed me a deed for 2 acres on his farm that had a trailer
site, complete with sewer, water and electric hookups. Seems he built the
site on his farm for friends that used to visit him and his wife with their
RV's. After she died, his friends quit visiting. He said he thought the
mother of four could use the help and, besides the deed, he gave me a check
for $10,000 to give her to cover the cost of moving her trailer.
Funny, the above scenarios to me where what Journalism was all about -
uncovering the truth, pointing out the need for societal change, and
helping others in need. Fairly idealistic, but I took it that way. It
always made making fortunes in the high tech industry somewhat immaterial
to me, though I have been both fortunate and lucky in that regards.
Cliff Kurtzman <cliff_at_tenagra.com> wrote:
>As to a company like Microsoft or Oracle receiving a disproportionate
>amount of coverage, well, whether they advertise in a publication or not,
>they are major players in the industry and their products impact a lot of
>people. I don't find it odd that they should get more coverage than a
>(presently) smaller company like mine does.
I never said you could not get coverage without advertising, I just noted
the fact that the biggest spenders are also the market leaders - a concept
they used to preach in Marketing 101 in college. I don't care what Industry
it is, the fact remains that those with the largest budgets normally win
the war. Doesn't mean you can't get ink and do well with little to no money
to work with. I'm just pointing out the obvious - specifically how our
market economy works.
And, I'm not saying all computer trade magazines are on the take. In fact,
they are just doing their jobs, some better than others. Some are more
reputable than others. Some do not associate advertising and editorial
coverage, others will sell you front page coverage. As a whole, you have to
admit the magazines tend to follow the pack in covering issues of
importance to the industry.
For example, I'm not convinced that the issue of Microsoft and the Justice
Department going at it has any real importance in my life. I'm not sure it
effects too many other people as well, other than Netscape or Microsoft
shareholders. In fact, I don't think it is as important as the family of
four killed by a drunk driver.
I know, I'm an idiot for thinking this way.
Regards,
Steve Kruse
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