WSJ shows the way (the wrong way)

PR people are meant to be nice to hugely important publications like the WSJ. Sadly I can't resist taking a pop at the WSJ today. Why? Well today it proudly published its D supplement (they even have special stickers on those newspaper vending machines announcing its presence). In the supplement are a host of interviews with top execs including Bill Gates. There are articles on such racy topics as E-Commerce (does anyone use that term anymore?) and Laptop security. Think about that for a second (or two). There is no content here that is truly going to get the world excited. Certainly no content that is going to get people talking. I just can't see people huddling round the cooler saying: "wow that piece in today's journal was a real eye opener." Let's assume that the readership of the Journal is the investment community for now. If I were a fund manager, I'd hope I already knew the stuff in the Gates interview or the E-commerce article. Take the following question posed to Billg: "When are you going to ship the new Vista Operating System?" I don't think I need to tell you that he said we're on track to ship it in January. I have to say that it's content like this that is getting traditional media into trouble.