Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: PR

Author:Dave Winer
Posted:6/3/2000; 8:07:03 AM
Topic:scriptingNews outline for 6/3/2000
Msg #:17544 (In response to 17543)
Prev/Next:17543 / 17546

I was on a panel on Wednesday that included a VC, and we debated whether the system as it works now has any value.

I asked him of all the parterships that his companies announced, how many had any substance at all.

He said 1 in 3. So figure it out, 2/3 of the articles you read on News.Com have absolutely no substance at all.

I also believe I understand how the PR process works. I played the game pretty well, had articles written about me in every major pub, Fortune, New York Times, Business Week, all kinds of international publications. I even wrote for one of them for a couple of years, and got to see the workings on the other side of the line. For a year, Pointcast had a quote of mine in 100000 point font on their tradeshow booth.

I've also sat in press conferences as obvious questions remained unasked, and sometimes they were asked, yet none of the pubs present reported on the questions that were raised. I saw one high tech CEO put up a set of meaningless numbers and have them be cited in the New York Times the next day.

I also saw the Times stay silent as the CDA unconstitutionally attacked free speech on the Internet.

So I'm not asking naive questions, I'm asking News.Com to explain how they work. I'll keep doing that. It's definitional. Either they start reporting news with substance, or I intend to help you and others route around them.

This subject is also being discussed on the Syndication mail list. And in various off-line conversations. I belive the route-around is moving to the next level now, and I'm excited!!

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