Hello folks. Still holding cos and keeping fingers crossed that they don't miss the opportunity to 'pull it from the fire'.
Had this email the other day...
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> From: Mcintosh, Andrew <amcintosh@thecitizen.southam.ca>
> To: danpearson@geocities.com
> Subject: corel
> Date: Monday, December 22, 1997 9:30 AM
>
>
> Hi Dan.
>
> You may recognize my name from stories I have written about Corel in on-
> line editions of The Ottawa Citizen, where I am a high tech business writer.
> I do read the variety of Corel threads on SI very closely, to get possible
> story ideas, news and feedback from its afficionados and critics. I do not
> have posting privileges nor do I want any.
>
> But a while back, I wrote a story about Lotus flying in reporters to Ottawa
> for its unveiling of its new Java-based software, e-suite, in Corel's
> backyard. Corel followers on SI noticed, as I hoped they would, the
> reference to this in my story and raised very valid questions about the
> ethics of reporters accepting such paid trips from companies.
>
> Some called on me to explain what this was all about. I did not because I
> could not. But I saw your web site reference to a real e-mail address and
> well, I'm asking you to post this message for me, together with an
> invitation to all on the thread to call or e-mail me at any time to discuss
> my stories or other issues. My tel. no. (613) 596-3716. Collect calls
> accepted
>
> Here is what I know about paid trips and journalists.
>
> 1. My daily newspaper, The Ottawa Citizen, and most other major
> North American daily newspapers (excluding La Presse of Montreal, Le Devoir
> and the Sun newspaper chain, do not accept paid trips anywhere from ANY
> companies. The CBC is the same. If we travel, we pay pour own bills and
> have complete independence to write what we want and report it how we see fit.
> People who breach the rule and get caught, may be suspended or fired.
>
> 2. This policy is not true of many reporters working for trade newspapers and
> periodicals, which routinely accept free trips for members of their staff
> and therefore enhance their profit margins. These publications claim to not
> be influenced by such arrangements. I think this is crap and I personally
> believe they ought to inform readers of their policies. This is not only
> true for just high-tech trade writers, but trade writers and freelancers in
> many sectors, especially in automotive, medical and travel industries.
>
> For an eye- opening account of such corruption in the automotive
> journalism field, I suggest you all read one chapter of a book
> entitled CAR, written byformer Philadelphia Inquirier Journalist Marty Walton
> and published in 1997. Made my skin crawl so much I'll never read
> another consumer car review.
>
> 3. BUT.... As Ms. Walton points out in her book CAR, the corruption today,
> while still prevalent, is waning as more people say no to freebies and
> favors, as I do, to preserve their professional credibility and integrity.
> Good news gets the favorable coverage it deserves from me; and bad news, as
> we know, begets unflattering headlines and probing questions. ( No, I never
> write the headlines on my stories. Desk editors do.)
>
> Allow me to recount a recent example which I think offers a lot of hope.
> After Microsft apppointed a new Canadian general manager, its PR meisters at
> Hill and Knowlton in To. planned a lavish pow-wow at a swanky resort up in
> the Muskokas or something. The Citizen's three high tech reporters were all
> invited to go and hob knob with Microsoft execs and have off record chats.
>
> We all declined, saying: 1. we don't do free trips and 2. no off record,
> unless there are unusual, extenuating circumstances. These were clearly not.
>
> Hill & Knowlton said, Okay, we'll' let you pay and after your off record
> session is over, you can discuss ways to get it on record. We still said no,
> believing there was little news worthy matters to be discussed to justufy
> spending the money better spent on other events/trips.
>
> I believe, but am not sure, that they cancelled the whole thing, of if they
> didn't, it was very sparsely attended. In the U.S., Microsft still gets away
> with this sort of stuff with the technology press, for reasons which mystify
> me to no end.
>
> I would love to sit down and shoot the cyber breeze with Poppa Bill Gates.
> (question 1. How could you unleish an interactive, talking techno Barney on
> the world. Have you lost it? Have you no conscience, good man?) But my
> interviews are on done on my terms, not his or anybody else's.
>
> Regards to all on the thread.
>
> Andrew McIntosh |
