The Rise of Computer Magazines and later, Tech Blogs

 

Chapter 1 of the #TechlashBook, “Tech News and Tech Public Relations,” covers the historical background to the tech-backlash. In it, there are two tables about the rise of computer magazines and the rise of tech blogs. For your use, I decided to share them here.

The story starts with the emergence of the dot-com bubble. Early on, if you wanted information about the fast-growing tech sector, you were probably a devoted reader of computer magazines.

I created Table 1 to presents notable examples for influential computer magazines:

I argue that their impact is apparent in the state of tech coverage today.

Then, in the mid-2000s’ part, the rise of tech blogs is described in detail. Notable examples for A-List tech blogs are featured in the following table:

 

The content then explains the different types of tech bloggers, how their rise was celebrated (e.g., “The golden age of computer magazines was glorious, but the golden age of computer journalism is now” – Harry McCracken, 2013); the favorable writing style; and the competition with traditional media.

It’s a small excerpt (and the rest of the story can be found in the book), but I hope you’ll find it useful :-)