How Big Tech Companies Control the Narratives
The Verge is leading an initiative to limit their power in journalism.
Accurate sourcing in tech journalism is key for readers to know who to believe — and to fight the deep problem of misinformation flooding media outlets in the US.
On the 29th of March this year, Volkswagen of America published in its website a press release explaining it’d be changing its name to “Voltswagen.” The intention was to generate publicity for their upcoming electric vehicle, the ID4. As Motortrend reported, “several major media outlets published the story after being assured by Volkswagen that it was true.” However, it turned out to be an unfortunate early April fools’ Day prank — that was neither funny nor profitable.
After Volkswagen revealed the truth, media outlets got “really, really upset.” They had asked off the record their Volkswagen sources whether the news was a joke and not even then the PR representatives admitted the prank. Nathan Bomey from USA Today — the first magazine to echo the news — discharged his anger on Twitter: “Dear Volkswagen: You lied to me. You lied to AP, CNBC, Reuters and various trade pubs…Why should anyone trust you again?”
Volkswagen’s PR people did what you should never do in journalism: Jeopardizing their long-term…
