The Techlash and Tech Crisis Communication

Dr. Nirit Weiss-Blatt, Ph.D.

About the Author

Dr. Nirit Weiss-Blatt, Ph.D., is a Former Research Fellow at the University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Her expertise is in the tech news field.

Prior to her academic journey, she worked on both sides of the fence: began her career in tech public relations, representing international tech companies and entrepreneurs, and later switched sides to work as a tech journalist and a deputy-editor. Those experiences led her to examine the creation of the tech media agenda and the various forces which shape the tech discourse.

The Techlash Book

"The TECHLASH and Tech Crisis Communication" book is about tech journalism and tech PR.

"The emerging tech-backlash

is a story of pendulum swings"

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The #TechlashBook Chapters (content outline)

- Sample chapter

You can read a free chapter of the book here: Book2Look

- Among its research questions:

1. When and why did the tech coverage shift?

2. How did tech companies respond to the rise of tech criticism? Which crisis communication strategies were utilized?

3. What can we learn about the more profound changes in the power relations between the tech media and the tech giants it covers?

- The book is based on an extensive literature review and three research methods:

1. AI-Media monitoring, Big Data analytics – to identify the tech companies' peaks of coverage and evolving criticism.

2. Content analysis of the tech companies' crisis responses – to reveal their strategies.

3. In-depth interviews with actors on both sides of the story, leading tech journalists and tech PR professionals - to create a virtual panel of experts, debating the broader meaning of the Techlash.

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THE PRE-TECHLASH ERA Section
Chapter 1. Tech News and Tech Public Relations
THE TECHLASH ERA Section
Chapter 2. Big Tech – Big Scandals
Chapter 3. Tech Crisis Communication
Chapter 4. Evolving Techlash Issues
THE POST-TECHLASH ERA Section
Chapter 5. Never-Ending Criticism?

Endorsements

"In this deeply researched work, Nirit Weiss-Blatt provides an invaluable record of tech media's mood swing as its portrayal of Silicon Valley lurched from utopian to dystopian. This is much more than a book about tech's PR problems. Weiss-Blatt's trenchant analysis of the news industry restores nuance to the debate over technology and society."

- Jeff Jarvis, Director, Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism, The Leonard Tow Professor of Journalism Innovation, CUNY, Blogger, BuzzMachine. He is also the author of "What Would Google Do?", "Public Parts", "Geeks Bearing Gifts", and "Gutenberg the Geek."

"Nirit's in-depth study of tech media chronicles the reputational rise and fall of an entire industry while providing valuable insights to those who work in it. The book provides PR professionals, journalists, and students with a comprehensive analysis of the Techlash's core issues. Whether you're working in tech journalism or tech PR, the book will broader your understanding of the media scrutiny, the tech clients, and, thus, help you define the future correspondence between the two."

– Fred Cook, Chairman of Golin, Professor of Professional Practice, Director of the USC Center for Public Relations. He is also the author of "Improvise: Unconventional Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO."

Expert interviews

* The full list of interviewees includes their positions at the time of the interview.

* Their observations throughout the book reflect their personal points of view and do not represent their organizations.

Tech journalism

The Atlantic - Alexis Madrigal, Staff Writer

The Verge - Casey Newton, Senior Editor & Silicon Valley Editor

BuzzMachine - Jeff Jarvis, Blogger / Director, Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism, The Leonard Tow Professor of Journalism Innovation, CUNY (The City University of New York)

BuzzFeed News - John Paczkowski, Technology and Business Editor

Reuters News - Jonathan Weber, Global Industry Editor for Technology

TechCrunch - Josh Constine, Editor-At-Large

Recode - Kara Swisher, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Editor

New York Times - Kashmir Hill, Technology Reporter

TechDirt - Mike Masnick, Founder and Editor in Chief

The Information - Nick Wingfield, Senior Editor

CNET - Richard Nieva, Senior Reporter

Wired - Scott Thurm, Business Editor

Anonymized - Tech Editor

Tech public relations

LaunchSquad - Brett Weiner, Partner