Discussion

• @mkbhd Marques Brownlee on x

  @SnazzyLabs @AndruEdwards Good take

• @johnvoorhees John Voorhees on x

  Spot on. I remember when the bloggers reacted the same way to YouTubers before TikTok was even a thing. Apple's approach to PR has changed along with the media landscape. Some of what comes out of an Apple event is fluff, but Quinn's right that overall their approach is better th…

• @r3dash Ershad Kaleebullah on x

  Most of this is relevant to the Indian context as well. The onus is on the creator/influencer/journalist to keep coverage balanced. And, on the viewers/readers to seperate the wheat from the chaff. Apple doesn't shy away from criticism (very few brands are as secure).

• @snazzylabs Quinn Nelson on x

  And here is another unfortunate reality... more people watch IShowSpeed than read the average New York Times column—by many orders of magnitude.  Inviting traditional media is important and they have a place.  I have a ton of respect for them and they do work that influencers can…

• @thisistechtoday M. Brandon Lee on x

  I hope Mark is enjoying the engagement from this nonsensical rage-bait post. The premise is that influencers are being invited who only say good things; therefore, Apple will not have to listen to constructive feedback and criticism, which will lead to mediocrity. The reality is …

• @fahim_al_mahmud Fahim Al Mahmud Ashik on x

  I am not surprised! The first iPhone 18 Pro review I saw was from a famous YouTuber who made a 10+ minute video turning every negative into a positive. If someone as big as that person, with so much leverage, is afraid to say anything negative, imagine all the smaller creators!

• @mikeisaac Rat King on x

  @markgurman @jyarow i kinda disagree? i feel like it's just a different form of marketing and folks will ultimately see through it to find authoritative voices that give unvarnished reviews (that's my hope at least. but i find that people can often be smart once they figure out w…

• @samkohl Sam Kohl on x

  I'm consistently disappointed by many of my peers who have access to Apple events and executives. Showing off new colors for TikTok and repeating talking points should not be why you are in this job. Very few “journalists” are even asking Apple tough questions anymore.

• @tailosivetech @tailosivetech on x

  It's all about control. They don't want big names controlling the narrative at their events and asking executives the tough questions they can't answer. They look bad when asked legitimate questions. Basically they only help influencers they know will help them.

• @markgurman Mark Gurman on x

  Apple's new focus on influencers for events and product “reviews” — people who say nothing but positive things and never ask a legitimate question of Apple executives in exchange for free devices, travel and more, is a serious issue. This echo chamber will lead to mediocrity.

• @snazzylabs Quinn Nelson on x

  As an influencer (often known as one fairly critical and seldom invited to events from any brand, much less Apple), let me put it this way: Are there influencers that are not journalistic in their approach and hold back criticism for fear of losing access?  Yes.  Is it my percept…