It’s Not a Fact

Just about every year, PC Magazine columnist John Dvorak writes about the death of Apple. He’s been wrong every year—actually about lots of things he writes about. Now he claims that there is media bias in favor of Apple, because, “today’s newspaper and magazine tech writers know little about computers and are all Mac users. It’s a fact”.

He continues, “I could list 50 [technology writers.] Readers should thus not be surprised by the overcoverage of Apple Computer. Every time Steve Jobs sneezes there is a collective chorus of ‘Gesundheit’ from tech writers pounding away on their Macs”. 

He’s nuts.

I worked in publishing and journalism for 13 years before becoming an analyst. I worked for five print publications or news organizations and nowhere did writers or reporters work on Macs. All the businesses used PCs. Sure, some of the graphics departments used Macs, but not the people writing stories. These folks used PCs running a Microsoft operating system.

Little has changed. Most reporters I know use Windows. I talk to reporters and technology writers every weekday. The vast majority don’t use Macs. I know because I often ask. So, as usual, the PC Magazine pundit is living in dream land. Or maybe the real bias is his own. He does write a nearly annual pronouncement that Apple is about to go out of business.

I would like to note that it wasn’t that long ago the Apple stories were more negative. It’s only in the past two years or so, where more stories started being more favorable to Apple. As for the apparent media obsession with Apple, maybe that’s really a sign of good execution and smart marketing. Part of the marketing is Apple’s secrecy, which puts reporters on the chase to “break” the story ahead of their peers.

One columnist’s misguided opinions are not facts.

Photo Credit: John Gevers