Journalists Need to Stop Writing “RIM is Dead” Articles Without Doing Any Research

Posted

on February 12, 2012, at 7:32 PM

. Tags: James Surowiecki, the new yorker.

Here at BlackBerryCool, we’re no stranger to “RIM is Dead” articles. They continually show up from sites like TechCrunch but the New Yorker has recently published one of the worst we’ve ever read. The article, titled “BlackBerry Season”, doesn’t address any of the important indicators as to whether RIM is actually “dying” such as: its financials, its strategy with its new OS, the GLOBAL demand for smartphones (not just North America) or any indication as to whether RIM is doing a good job in its transition to a more consumer-centric organization. Is Apple or Google paying these “journalists” to write these articles? This article is so poorly researched that it makes you think there are covert lobbying groups paying for these kind of articles.

From now on, you don’t get to write a “RIM is Dead” article, unless you include well-researched commentary on the following:

1) Acquisitions - RIM has made several acquisitions to address core weaknesses in its platform. QNX, TAT, Torch Mobile and ScoreLoop have all recently become part of the RIM family and if you’re going to write about the health of RIM as a company, you better address these acquisitions.

2) New OS – So many of these garbage “RIM is Dead” articles talk about the legacy BlackBerry OS as though that’s the only OS for BlackBerry moving forward. If you’re going to write a “RIM is Dead” article, you better have done your homework about QNX and an analysis of how it will position RIM in the market.

3) Transition - RIM is going through a major transition right now as a company. With its acquisitions and new open source platform, RIM is making some pretty bold moves to change the company and its culture. If you think “RIM is Dead” you should be able to speak to this transition and include your brilliant analysis of how this positions the company relative to its competitors.

If you address all of the above, we may take your “RIM is Dead” article seriously. But the truth is that you probably have no clue what you’re talking about and you’re too lazy to do any of the research necessary to write a balanced and insightful article.

You can read The New Yorker’s article here.

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http://about.me/kylemcinnes Kyle McInnes

There’s elements of the New Yorker article that might be straight up lies. Take this quote for example “ the iPhone and Androids now control more than half the corporate mobile market”.

First, the author talks about “the iPhone and Androids” in the same sentence without ever addressing that one is a piece of hardware and the other is an operating system with multiple hardware manufacturers.

Sencond, is this even true? I’ve read articles about the iPhone being adopted in an employee-liable manner but many of these don’t have access to sensitive corporate data. I would be very surprised if this is even true.

I’d like to see RIM’s PR team doing a much more aggressive attack on these journalists. Put them in their place when they publish stuff like this and have them print retractions.
Nvstrguy

QNX may have fantastic potential, however it has already been delayed for near a year from its first targeted launch date, and now RIM has announced further delay with a hopeful launch by the end of 2012. If RIM is to make a come back they are going to have to polish up their product launches and tighten up their schedule. Much like their Playbook launch, may be cool technology, but when poorly launched, under supoorted and launched after better technology has preceeded it by 6 months it takes a lot of the lustre out of their “potential”. I am a loyal BlackBerry user, have had many devices, but I am also a loyal Apple user. If RIM to shape up soon they’ll be losing another customer.
AppleFUD

Many of these articles are written by apple shills posing as journalists. Anyone who regularly reads tech sites these days ought to know just how much apple invests in controlling journalists/bloggers.
Garykrusch

I agree with this article, however… These “naysayers” can not comment on what is to happen in the future, they can only hypothosize from the past and current status of RIM. Based on the past and current situations, it does look like RIM could be in trouble in the North American Market. This is why… I think RIM should focus on the consumer angle, however, make the enterprise angle just as much of a priority. By looking more towards consumers, then they don’t capture something RIM always had, which was enterprise. Losing the US government as an exclusive, that’s losing a lot of business. Recently it was reported a large company (4500 BB’) will be replaced with Apple. It was these enterprise groups that were keeping BB afloat. Also, we have heard about BB10, but we don’t know if it will be what has been promised. And if it’s more QNX like, I’m not sure if that is so good. I own the Playbook, and there seems to be less choices on what you can do in an app then there is with the current OS. It Seems RIM is taking away from the things that make a BB, instead of making better with it’s core purposes. I hope I am wrong, I have owned almost every BB out there, I currenrtly use a 9900, and the Playbook, so I will stand by their side to the end, but you can’t blame the folks that write these negative articles….
Todd

RIM needs get a high performance PR strategist on deck, stat! If you don’t control your story, then someone else is going to, and you’re not going to like it. They can’t continue to let public perception of current products be painted with the brush of legacy devices. Their current marketing needs an overhaul… quickly.
Npd4356

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Samba Lamba

+Agreed
http://zukimobile.com Paul Deans

Great article, bang on the button. Be careful what you read out there. Information diet is essential…..
http://profiles.google.com/pfezziwig Charlie Fezziwig

Their PR and Marketing team are dropping the ball, haven’t liked a BB ad in a couple years, when I actually see one. This is one aspect where I feel andoid and apple are truly much better.

That being said, mainstream media are morons, writing articles that wont’t get them fired, if they were objective and intelligent they’ld be canned.

Not to mention some weathy investors are making money shorting this company and no doubt using all their influnence to influence mainstream media.

I’ve lost a lot of respect for journalists and analysts the past year after witnessing their treatment of RIM, it’s way over the top. I guess that sort of drivel sells though, so I can’t fault editors and journalist totally.
Shat Thrice

My pitcher of Kool-Aid is finally empty after eight long years of cheerleading for RIM. Can’t wait to transition the last of my users to ANYTHING ELSE and recycle my BES.
http://about.me/kylemcinnes Kyle McInnes

I tried to comment on your article but the comment feature seems broken. Anyways, I agree with a lot of your points. You didn’t do a good job of breaking down the financials though. It’s not enough to say “RIMM stock is in the toilet so the company is performing poorly on financials.” You’re not counting the $1.1 billion in cash, zero debt, and recurring monthly revenue on 75 million smartphones worldwide. Also, I’m tired of people saying everything is “too late”. It’s not a real argument when you consider global smartphone growth and the amount of cash RIM has to continue. It’s just your opinion.
http://about.me/kylemcinnes Kyle McInnes

Also, you should know that I wasn’t serious about Apple and Google paying bloggers. It was hyperbole.
Anonymous

Great article. I’ve read endless “Playbook is dead” articles and claims that RIM is on its way out. But the Playbook OS 2.0 is amazing and after using it, when I have to switch to my iPhone running 5.01, I find it annoying and unintuitive in comparison. Im quite looking forward to the forthcoming BB 10 OS. I’m looking forward to the familar brilliant features (like the phone book being able to call a number that I included in a note) and of my old Blackberry 8320, in a refreshed powerful OS. Also, for Canadians its a chance to support a local home-grown company, and avoid supporting Apple with its sweatshop labour here in China.
The truth

RIM is dead!!!!!!!
Rimjob

RIM is Dead
Gawd

RiM is dead.
Maxmz02

RIM has strange culture and self distruct political environment.

In RIM if a new hired person figure out major problem and introduce efficient approach, both manager and his buddy group member will proof their wrong approach works. just like someone point out driving a car is right way, pushing a car is wrong way, then both manager and his buddy group member will hate you, and proof that 3 person can also move the car by pushing it. cheating email will be sent to some vice president, saying like: see, the car moving, pushing a car is a natural part of the process, in order to deny new hired contribution of introducing skill of drive a car, they have to deny merit of driving a car.

It is very strange company culture and strange company political environment, it promote stealing and cheating skill. RIM’s management may be a typical instance in MBA course.

This culture deny or steal hardworking team members’ contribution/innovation, generate strange political environment, destroy RIM.
Maxmz02

RIM has strange culture and self distruct political environment.

In RIM if a new hired person figure out major problem and introduce efficient approach, both manager and his buddy group member will proof their wrong approach works. just like someone point out driving a car is right way, pushing a car is wrong way, then both manager and his buddy group member will hate you, and proof that 3 person can also move the car by pushing it. cheating email will be sent to some vice president, saying like: see, the car moving, pushing a car is a natural part of the process, in order to deny new hired contribution of introducing skill of drive a car, they have to deny merit of driving a car.

It is very strange company culture and strange company political environment, it promote stealing and cheating skill. RIM’s management may be a typical instance in MBA course.

This culture deny or steal hardworking team members’ contribution/innovation, generate strange political environment, destroy RIM.
Steve

People seem to forget how close to bankruptcy Apple once was. Let’s leave the RIM is dead comments for the day RIM closed its doors.

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