Mad Journalist Disease
Come on, admit it. The biggest news this past few days at DesignCon wasn't the news coming out of the show, it was who was covering the news coming out of the show. And why is that? Because one of the most distinguished members of our little press corps is on his way out at one of the major publications covering the industry. And everyone knows, and everybody's talking about it, and everybody thinks it's really stupid.* Meanwhile, at the same time, one of the brightest up-and-coming stars in our little press corps is on his way in at that same major publication, having quite publicly bolted from one of the other major publications covering the industry. And that second other major publication, the one that just lost their rising star? Well, they've quite visibly had to position some of their distinguished staff members as stringer reporters at DesignCon this week, because the folks at that publication are, for the moment, at least one head short.** Meanwhile, meanwhile, one of the other long-time, distinguished members of our little press corps has been sighted in and around the Press Room at DesignCon, although many people thought he had left the press corps for good. And finally, the biggest whispers in and around DesignCon were about who's bidding to have their head added to the one-head-short, one-enchilada-short-of-a-combo-plate publication masthead that publication that let the rising star get away and is now clearly overworking their senior staff. Okay. At this point, surely some of you reading this are making that sudden gasping noise that you make when you're in the passenger seat and your driver almost slams into the car just in front of you in traffic. Well clearly, I'm suffering from Mad Journalist Disease that's mad as in crazy Mad Journalist Disease Type B. There's also something called Mad Journalist Disease Type A that's mad as in angry. I did suffer from that disease at one point after getting dumped by a former employer along with numerous other close friends who were all left unemployed and short on pride and health insurance. But, I've fully recovered from MJD Type A and now I've just got Type B. Mad Journalist Disease Type B has no cure. It's pretty much, once you've got it, you've got it for life. It's a disease that causes you to throw caution to the wind and sometimes even courtesy in attempting to be honest and forthright, while not selling your soul to advertisers, executives, companies, publishers, or the admittedly charming people in PR. Mad Journalist Disease Type B can sometimes be difficult to diagnose, but its symptoms include being seen in public with one or more members of the press corps who are persona non grata with one publication or another, and repeatedly answering questions about the wisdom of mounting a publication that doesnt have any advertisers. However, the over-arching symptom of Mad Journalist Disease Type B is the need to be seen as a martyr. Clinically speaking, this symptom is called the Look-at-Me-I'm-a-Martyr-to-the-Cause-of-Truth-and-Freedom-in-the-Press Syndrome. Once that syndrome has taken hold, the individual suffering from MJD Type B may be reaching the end of the journey. The patient's starting to lose contact with the reality of the world outside, and therefore the patient's starting to lose what journalists really need the most, which is access. Access to information particularly inside information and CEOs, is what high-tech journalism is all about. If you don't have access, you don't got nuthin. Access means you get ushered to the front table at industry events to sit with the CEO. You get invited to have private breakfasts, lunches, or dinners with a company and/or the CEO. Access means that you even get to hang out with the CEO now and then, so you can let people know about it afterwards. Access also means that the people who represent the CEO respond to your phone calls and give you a jingle when any little problem crops up. When you've got access, you're in, you're important, and you're not suffering from Mad Journalist Disease Type B. Access means you're in touch with reality. Nobody at DesignCon this week ever spoke about Mad Journalist Disease per se, however they were thinking about it constantly. Whether employed at a high-tech company at any level in the organization, in PR, or in the press everybody at DesignCon was definitely thinking about MJD. They were thinking about who might be suffering from MJD Type A, an acute disease, which is definitely curable. They were also thinking about MJD Type B, a chronic disease that tragically has no cure. Everybody was thinking about who's in the Press Room, who's a functional member of the press corps, and who was going to be able to provide coverage of what was happening at DesignCon, in high-tech, in the wider world, and even in the universe. And the truth of the matter is that all kidding, martyrdom, sarcasm, anger, and arrogance aside it's important to know who's in the Press Room, who's a functional member of the press corps, and how a company and/or industry's message(s) is going to be put out there for people to consider, learn from, accept, reject, or discourse upon. Because no matter how much the press corps allows themselves to be deluded into thinking that who covers the news is really bigger news than the news itself and everybody from the CEO all the way down to the PR counsel tries to convince the press corps that they feel that way that's just not the case. The news itself is the thing, not the kings and queen(s) who deliver the news. Companies don't succeed because they've got one or more members of the press corps signed up via access, friendship, gifts, or parties. Companies and their technology succeed because they warrant the success. All kidding, martyrdom, sarcasm, anger, and arrogance aside I really do believe that it's a meritocracy that rules out there at DesignCon, in EDA, in high-tech in general, and possibly even in the universe. And I feel that way because: "You may fool all the people some of the time, Unless you're suffering from MJD Type B, in which case: "You're just kidding yourself and **************** * What is it about publishers that they're constantly thinking that talent grows on trees? It's an affliction called Mad Publisher Disease, which we can talk about on another day. ** Nope, you didnt hear me say, "One enchilada short of a combo plate for letting the rising star get away." *** Abe Lincoln **** Anon **************** February 3, 2005 Peggy Aycinena owns and operates EDA Confidential. She can be reached at peggy@aycinena.com
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