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"
The Audiobook is OUT NOW:
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Listen to some excerpts (audiobook samples):
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.
Order options
Wordery
Contents
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
WE Communications - Katie Huang Shin, President of Technology Sector and Chief Strategy Officer
Ruder Finn - Rowan Benecke, Chief Growth Officer
Golin - Stephen Jones, Executive Vice President, Catalyst Community Leader
Anonymized - Senior PR executive
In the Media
Podcasts Guest - Podchaser
TWiG (This Week in Google): How tech journalism changed since 2016
Apple Podcasts / Google Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher / YouTube: Full episode / What is the TechLash? / transcript
Techdirt podcast: How the Techlash happend
SoundCloud / Apple Podcasts / Google Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher / transcript
Techdirt OpEd (opinion piece): Donald Trump Caused The Techlash
Innovation Files: How pack journalism and predictable crisis PR responses have influenced the Techlash
Apple Podcasts / Google Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher / Castbox / ITIF transcript
Business Bookshelf: Dr Nirit Weiss-Blatt - Author of "The Techlash and Tech Crisis Communication"
Apple Podcasts / Google Podcasts / Spotify / Anchor.FM / Business Bookshelf / transcript
NEWSWEEK OpEd: Big Tech's Art of Making Up the Rules as It Goes Along
The PRovoke Media Podcast: The role of communication in Techlash
PRovoke Media / Apple Podcasts / Google Podcasts / Spotify / Tune In / PodBean / transcript
Techdirt OpEd: There's a Growing Backlash Against Tech's Infamous Secrecy. Why Now?
Techdirt OpEd: Facebook: Amplifying the Good or the Bad? It's Getting Ugly
Techdirt OpEd: TECHLASH 2.0: The Next-Gen Techlash is Bigger, Stronger & Faster
Reviews
