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Technology Stocks : Dell Technologies Inc. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Paul van Wijk who wrote (25283)	12/16/1997 12:41:00 AM
From: B Hewson	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 176387

Re "can you give us more tips to read between the lines?" OK. Small publications like CRN don't have the time/money to let reporters research stories extensively. Reporters have quota of 3-5 stories per week, so they have to move fast. Vendors call them all the time with story ideas. I say it was CPQ initiating the story because it is too coincidental that reporters would call CPQ for comment on Dell story and this internal CPQ study just popped up. Internal CPQ study gives CPQ a story hook to call CRN with. Once the reporter has a story idea -- dell losing pricing edge supported by CPQ study -- they call other companies to see if they agree. Natually they all agree and cite customers they have won back. Reporter will then call a consultant and quote him. If these few contacts say similar things, the story is written -- WITH THE ANGLE THE VENDOR (CPQ) WANTED. Major stories in major pubs such as Fortune are much more thoroughly researched, much less likely to be influenced by a good PR person. Same thing happens with customers who are quoted. Often those customers are suggested by the vendor PR person. Net: these stories usually have a kernal of truth (or maybe a lot of truth), but they are frequently one-sided. Barbara