The Techlash and Tech Crisis Communication

Nirit Weiss-Blatt

maalis 2021 · Emerald Group Publishing

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Over the years, tech companies were accustomed to cheerleading coverage of product launches, but in recent years the long tech-press honeymoon ended. It was replaced by a new era of mounting criticism focusing on tech’s negative impact on society. This emerging tech backlash is a story of pendulum swings between tech-utopianism and tech-dystopianism. When and why did media coverage shift to corporate misdeeds, and how did tech companies respond?

The Techlash and Tech Crisis Communication provides an in-depth analysis of the evolution of tech journalism and reveals the “inside story” of the Techlash. Furthermore, it shows how Big Tech companies defend themselves from scrutiny by attempting to reduce their responsibility. From employee activism to political pushback, the ramifications are growing.

Until now, the interplay between tech journalism and tech PR has been underexplored. Through analysis of both tech media and corporate crisis response, The Techlash and Tech Crisis Communication examines the roots and characteristics of the Techlash. Insightful observations by tech journalists and tech PR professionals are added to the research data, illuminating the profound changes in the power dynamics between the media and the tech giants they cover. Nirit Weiss-Blatt explores theoretical and practical implications for both tech enthusiasts and critics.

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Nirit Weiss-Blatt, Ph.D., is a Former Research Fellow at the University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, USA. Her expertise is in the tech news field. Since 2005, she has worked on both sides of the fence, beginning her career in tech public relations, later switching sides to work as a tech journalist and a deputy editor. These experiences led her to examine the various forces which shape the tech discourse.