“Apple’s is continuing to make big changes in the friendlier post-Kate Cotton PR era with the announcement today that Chris Breen, the long-time senior editor at Macworld, has been hired by the fruit-flavored tech company,” Buster Hein reports for Cult of Mac. “Breen has worked at both Macworld and MacUser, but is making the change to working at the mothership after decades of covering the company as an Apple journalist.”
“Breen is the second big journalist hire Apple’s made in the past six months. Anand Lal Shimpi, the highly regarded tech reviewer and founder of AnandTech retired from the world of journalism last August without explanation,” Hein reports. “It was later discovered he had been hired by Apple, though his exact role at the company was also not mentioned.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
Related article:
Apple hires tech blogger Anand Lal Shimpi – September 1, 2014
Pravda. When your business is as large as most countries, you need an internal state sponsored media.
NYT, not Pravda. The former has long surpassed the latter. Pravda did not even dream of making up such outrageous lies on critical international matters like NYT did during the Iraq war.
There were abundant lies from MANY corners about the Iraq War, far more than have been publicly or legally acknowledged. But most certainly the NYT joined in.
Not sure what you are saying.
Pravda was indeed state controlled.
Also deceitful and journalism standards did not apply.
“…the fruit-flavored tech company…”
Why? Just why?
It’s the cult of mac, that’s why. See that title and run the other way.
The Register refers to Apple as “The fruity firm”. The idea is either to garner snark appeal or attempt humor. IMHO it’s simply an expression of tastelessness.
Solid journalistic hires have always proven to be the finest PR professionals.
Know several personally moving from national newspapers to major corporate outfits.
The song is always the same, “work half as long as make twice as much money.”
Best wishes …
It’s obvious that is going to be taking a bite out of jouranalism. Here are some reasons why:
– Disruption of the industry.
– Production of a product and a service with integrity, articles that are researched with facts. It’s going to be hard if not impossible for the current tech media to copy that.
– Expect jouranalists to suddenly be peeing themselves over some preposterous idea, like an car. Even though the new spaceship campus has been described as a space ship, everyone knows it looks like a tire…or doughnut.
– Will integrate with the over all approach of being mediated, from desktop publishing to the music to the mobile industry.
– It hasn’t been rumored yet. Got to love Tim’s approach to that. He was telling the truth as it turns out when he said that was working on projects that had not been rumored yet.
Say what you will, Apple is sure one heck of a ride.
Obvious some things are off your radar, RW.
Once journos cross over to the corporate dark side their membership is revoked and healthy skepticism reins. As it should be.
That said, journalism today is not exactly fair and balanced. So the jury is out until the coverage rolls in.
With this star chamber of dead tree journo talents, if they stick to rapid response verifiable facts and eventually gain media darling status, Apple will shine …
Thanks for your post GoeB. I do have to say that your first point is confusing, specifically:
“Once journos cross over to the corporate dark side” Are you calling Apple the corporate dark side? Is so, how so?
“their membership is revoked” Membership of what? Being a journanalist or being slime?
I would of course appreciate some clarity there.
“That said, journalism today is not exactly fair and balanced. So the jury is out until the coverage rolls in.” I think I implied that, actually went a bit further and highly insinuated that jouranalism today is far from being fair and balanced. A jury can say what it wants, but to me the proof is in the pudding. I don’t call them jouranalists for nothing.
Thumbs up on the last point. Enjoy the day.
I’m sure you’re smart enough to read between the lines and understand what was implied. Be that as it may, here are clarifications.
To a journalist in 2015, corporations are the number one evil, rich and greedy FORCE on planet earth. Used to be politicians in the 1950s — but now they are in bed with them, cheerleading for them and protecting them (Democrats, not Republicans).
Membership revoked: The fraternity of the Fifth Estate, the Shield Laws and Right To Know Requests … poof!
Protections gone, predators become headline prey …
Hope that clears it up for you.
Very much so GoeB, and that was my feeling. Thanks for clearing up.
I’ll playfully add that if “To a journalist in 2015, corporations are the number one evil” then facts must be a close second.
See you around. Enjoy.
Chris is an asset. He did some great podcasts.
Chris Breen is very well spoken, easy going, intelligent and a very nice guy. He’s also got some excellent leadership skills.
It’ll be interesting to see how they use him. He won’t be allowed to say anything specific about anything really new and secretive.
Ahhh, but “secretive” is in his nature. Not much is know about the Breen, except that they are from the Alpha quadrant. Even their physical appearance has never been revealed.
/s
…known…
Yes, secretive indeed. More info at:
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Breen
Uhhh…known
Chris is a great speaker, with confident measured tones, I’d say that they are going to use him to explain software and hardware functionality at keynotes.
It’s sad to see him leave independent journalism though.