Tag Archives: Apple

The iPhone Rapture: Apple Bias in the Media

(Disclosure: I own an iPhone and am extremely satisified with the device; so much so, in fact, that I have considered purchasing a MBP in the near future. It is my first Apple device ever — no, I never owned even an iPod.)

Not too long ago, I wrote a post exploring whether or not there exists an apple bias in the media (loosely defined as bloggers, journalists, TV anchors, etc.):

The media at large are enthralled with Macs and all things Apple — a major media outlet like the NewYork Times, a tech blog like Techcrunch or VentureBeat, or even a college newspaper.
Mac seems to represent not only the hip and elite, but smart, intelligent, and free-spirited — all superlatives we as writers love to associate ourselves with, even if only by brand.

Or as Stuff White People Like humorously remarks:

On the surface, you would ask yourself, how is that white people love a multi-billion dollar company with manufacturing plants in China, mass production, and that contributes to global pollution through the manufacture of consumer electronic devices?
Simple answer: Apple products tell the world you are creative and unique. They are an exclusive product line only used by every white college student, designer, writer, English teacher, and hipster on the planet.

You’ll see post, post, after post, after post, after post, after post, after post, after post by the devout and faithful Apple fans, but none of them are as honest as Mike Arrington:

So while I agree with Charles Cooper that Apple may sometimes get more press, and more compliant press, than they “should,” I think he and others miss the (much) larger point: Apple, and Steve Jobs, stoke our imagination in a way that no other technology company has ever done. Apple is about elegance, design, and potential, and we love them for it.

And he knows he’s got drunk on that Apple kool-aid:

I’ve been to enough Steve Jobs keynotes now to know that the man is able to take a crowd and bend it to his will. Every time, I’ve been a willing subject - sometimes (but not every time) to find myself in a hangover-like state a day later when I try to remember exactly why I thought that whatever he was pitching would change my life forever.

That’s why I like reading Mike’s writing: if you’re gonna be biased, be open and honest about it, and people will love you for it:

I love the iPhone for the same reason I love technology in general, and loved Disneyland as a child - it drives my imagination and makes me wonder what kind of magic to expect next. Also, it just works

This may be akin to those olds Apple Jacks commercials where the kids would always say “we eat what we like.”

The perfect reason for having an Apple bias? Nope.

An open and honest answer? Yes, sir.

For the rest of you Apple-toting fanboy press, tsk, tsk, tsk, try a full disclosure.

Is There an Apple Bias in the Media?

There was an interesting discussion today on Hacker News, generated by a post by Matt Maroon, simply titled, ‘Vista is Good.’

He certainly has an interesting lede:

As Apple fanboyism has spread throughout the tech publications, so too has Vista-bashing. In short order it went from being the Windows operating system that even Mac users were digging to the biggest mistake Microsoft ever made. The major media outlets who in tech, as with a lot of niches, take their cues from the blogs these days, have slowly followed suit, though they’ve been much more guarded about calling it a disaster.

Considering that most of the hackers (or at least those who comment) use OSX, Ubuntu, or some other variation of Mac or Linux-based OS, it’s not surprising that the general reaction was so hostile.

Partially because so many are drinking a bit too much haterade, but Matt brings up an interesting point that some consider “trolling”:

I am of the opinion that much of the tech media is held in thrall by Steve Jobs and is abandoning their job of fair and balanced reporting because they want to have early access to new iPhones and iPods. (In fairness, I blame Jobs as much for having that policy as I do for them abiding by it.)

Is there a bias favoring Apple in the Media?

Absolutely, positively, yes, in both the tech blogosphere and the mainstream media.

While covering tech for my school’s newspaper, I had an interesting conversation with my editors. I had asked them if I could cover CES, and they blankly stared at me asking “is it local — how does it affect our students.”

I tried to explain to them that it’s the biggest electronics show on the entire continent, and they gently rebutted me for its lack of local relevance.

The very next week, I get a breathless call from my editor, advising that I follow the MacWorld expo keynote by who else, but Steve Jobs. The next day, as soon as Jobs unveiled the MacBook air I was immediately buzzed by my editors, frantically asking that I round up a few student quotes and get into the office pronto to start hacking an article together on the earth-shattering news.

CES? No go. Not local enough.

Macbook Air released? Top priority. Also not local.Macbook Air

What was the difference? Why my editors, of course, are Mac Fangirls. They simply love and adore Mac. One of the pair got an iPhone for Christmas and was as attached to it as Gollum was to the ring.

But, you say, ‘it’s just one college newspaper — how does that demonstrate an apple bias in the media?’

For the weeks following the Macbook Air release, I could hardly go to the NYT website without seeing three or four articles PER DAY about Steve Jobs, Macbook Air, Apple, or all of the above. It was, in a word, digusting.

Even with all the ridiculous amounts of hype and coverage, I doubt a random person on the street would have any idea what a Macbook Air is.

‘A Macbook what?,’ they’d say.

But of course, an $1800 laptop isn’t targeted at the average person, because the average person is not stupid enough to pay nearly two thousand dollars for a product with the functionality more aptly valued at $500. So even with all the fawning coverage (and not as much advertising as, say, the iPhone) the Macbook Air is still, to the vast majority of Americans, an unknown quantity.

When I was at the O’Reilly Money:Tech conference in New York, I was more likely to see a blogger or journalist with an XO than a Windows-powered computer. Most all, of course, were sporting the glowing apple.

To my knowledge, not one of my VentureBeat cohorts owns anything but a Mac. I’m not positive about Matt Marshall, but Eric, MG, and Anthony seem to be hard-core Mac users.
Young, Hip, Intelligent. Using a Mac in a cafe.

How, then, can you ever expect an unbiased article when referring to Microsoft or Apple’s products or OS’s?

You can’t and you shouldn’t. (which, imho, is why I think each biased article should be preceded by a disclosure, unless, of course, if you’re reading TC which is thankfully openly biased.)

The media at large are enthralled with Macs and all things Apple — a major media outlet like the NewYork Times, a tech blog like Techcrunch or VentureBeat, or even a college newspaper.

Mac seems to represent not only the hip and elite, but smart, intelligent, and free-spirited — all superlatives we as writers love to associate ourselves with, even if only by brand.

Or, as Stuff White People Like puts it:

On the surface, you would ask yourself, how is that white people love a multi-billion dollar company with manufacturing plants in China, mass production, and that contributes to global pollution through the manufacture of consumer electronic devices?

Simple answer: Apple products tell the world you are creative and unique. They are an exclusive product line only used by every white college student, designer, writer, English teacher, and hipster on the planet.

The issue at hand is not MSFT OS vs MAC OS or Linux OS, the issue is the unfair bias towards Apple in the media.

There are certainly worse bias’ to have, and from someone who has an iPhone, I’m not an Apple-hater by any means, but as a writer, I must be perfectly honest … the bias is not only prevalent, but annoying and a bit irresponsible.

But hey, whoever said the media is fair?

My first apple ever

Now anyone that knows me, will know that I have a slight problem with apple.

I don’t buy into their hype.

And in fact I don’t buy into them ever — I’ve never owned an imac, or ipod, or ibook, or icrap or whatever.

Over priced.

Case in point, I was in an apple store in atlantic city in July, when I asked a worker if the iPhone was actually worth $600. He avidly told me that yes, and worth even more , and I questioned him if he didn’t think the price was going to drop in a few months (I did, he disagreed).

That’s what we like to call mac fanboys.

Here’s some good quotes from the article I did on the MacBook Air, the next most hyped failure Apple will release.

“I like Apple, but they’re too much fancy and not enough work stuff,” Labrecque said. “They come out with all looks and gimmicks first, and then they work backwards.”

“With Apple, everything is very expensive, and it’s good — but as a student, it’s not necessary,” Labrecque said.

(I must say, that what drove me to the final decision was writing for VentureBeat and the need to stay in contact and easy access to Google apps)

So after all this time and all this hating on Apple’s overpriced useless products, I finally got one.

iDavid own an iPhone.