Hikvision Pays For Trade Mag Editors China Trip
Hikvision paid for a group of 10 North American trade magazine 'editors' trip to Hikvision's China headquarters, showing the company's growing sophistication and the trade press' continued flouting of journalistic ethics.
Here is an image from the trip of the various editors assembled, smiling:
********* ******** *** **** "** * part ** *** ************ ** *** company *** *** ******** *** **********."
******* *** **** ****, *** *** of *** ******* *** *********.***** ******, * ****-******** ****** ** ***** *** ***** from *************, ********** ***** *** **** ********* trip:
** ******** ** *********, ** ******* that **** **** **** *** ***** tickets.
Journalist ******
************ ****** *** ****** ***** ******* to *** **** **** **** ***** and *****, ** ** ***** **** is ******* (***** ** *** ** paying) *** *** *** ******** ** covered (***** *** ****). ** *** Society ** ************ **********'******* ************: "****** *****, ******, ****, **** travel *** ******* *********"
Hikvision ******* ********
*************, **** **** ***** *** ******* new *** ******* *************. ********* ** simply ******* ****-******** *********. ******, ***** the ****** ********* ****** ****** ********** *** ************ **** Jensen's, *** ****** ** ****** ** be *******. ** *** ***** ****, with ********* ***** **** **** $* billion ******* **** **** (**% **** China), ******** **** ** ********* ** such ***** ** ***************.
*** **** ******** ****** **** ** to ********** *** ************ ********* ** going ** ****** ** ***** *******. We **** ** ******* ************* ***** who ******** ** ******* ********* ** nothing **** **** * ***-****, ***-******* 'Chinese' ****. ** *** ********, ***** like ****, ******** ** ********* ***** on **** *******, *** ***** ******* overall ********* ***** **** **** ********* is ********* *********** ** ***-****** ******* campaign. ******* **** **** *** ******* prices, **** ****** ***** *** ******** Western **********.
IPVM ** ***** / ** ****** ********
***** ***, **** ****, ** ** China ***** ***. **** **** *** all ******** *** *****, ** ** always ** *** *****, *** *** trip ** ********** ********* ** *** trade ****. ***** ** ******* **** numerous ******* ********* ********* *********'* ******* domestic ******, ***** *** *******.
"Hey Ralph, it's me Ginger!"
"It's not exactly what I was looking for but at least it's in the same field."
John,
This is an interesting ethical debate and I would be interested in your opinion. Where would you draw the line? For example, Apple was notorious for controlling who get to attend their press conferences (and as far as I know never paid for editor/analyst travel). If you wrote a negative piece, you don't get invited to the next "unveiling". Would you consider "access" preferential treatment for editors/analysts that would bias their reporting? What about coffee/donuts at a press conference/seminar?
If instead of paying to fly editors to an HQ, what if one was to fly a small team around the world to personally meet with individual influencers to launch the next great widget/company? The company would probably be spending the same amount of money, but the "benefit" (If you call horrible plane travel and staring at hotel walls a benefit) goes to the company employee.
Thoughts?
-Bob
Bob, good points / questions!
Regarding Apple, if we were in their industry, we most certainly would be banned!
The way Apple structures it certainly biases reporting but, in fairness, most of that is fanboi fawning more than 'journalism'. There's definitely a business benefit for those who stay in good grace with Apple, because the reads of such posts are so high. Of course, Apple is the exception in terms of having that type of impact.
For us, it makes no difference if we are the first or last to hear about something. What we differentiate on is our deeper understanding, based on industry experience and hands on testing. As such, whether or not we are invited to pres events is irrelevant. And, as our recent skipping of ASIS shows, we feel they are mostly a time waster anyway.
As for reversing the approach, flying out a small team to each editor would definitely be far more expensive than flying the editors to the manufacturer's site. One editor a day (since most are in different cities) for 10 editors with a 3 person team, the costs are quite high. Also, less impressive than to show your own facilties and wine / dine them at your own site.
"'benefit' (If you call horrible plane travel and staring at hotel walls a benefit) "
I agree many / most manufacturers view it at that way but the average trade mag editor makes a fraction (literally) of what the average manufacturer makes and has far lower travel budget. As such, these are perks for them.
In fairness to Hikvision, it appears that they only paid for coach tickets.
Also, to dispel rumors of being a puppet of the state, they bought "American".
Regarding coffee/donuts:
The U. S. Office of Government Ethics, that exemplar of rule-based integrity, has observed that items of little intrinsic value such as coffee and donuts are not presumed to be a corruptible influence.
Apparently nobody at that Govt Office drinks good coffee.
Put a cup of great coffee in front of me at the exact right time and I'll write any fluff article about your stupid company's "thought leadership" or your lame new widget's "potential disruptive impact" that you want me to.
They have never had Shipley Donuts, or Jane and John Dough Pretzelachi's http://www.janeandjohndough.com/. I've known people to overnight these suckers all over the country and become instant rock stars...
Hikvision Pays For Trade Mag Editors China Trip...
Totally understandable, with all the hacking going on lately they just wanted to hand him the article in person.
Good for Hikvision for learning how the game is played in America and only paying coach airfare.
Bad on Jensen for having the stones of a daylight burglar and complaining about it publicly. What did he want? An Axis cruise ship or the Pelco private jet to get him there?
HIK's rivals are left behind far away and getting further in this year.
Ironically, the people not in the picture look better than the people in the picture...
Like Ethan, for instance.
Anyone who claims to be a journalist must be insane to stand for that picture.
It's not what it looks like.
It's actually a test of their new crossed-line analytic.
Anyone who claims to be a journalist must be insane to stand for that picture.
Smartest journalist in the room?
And the least shameful... Ralph Jensen, right up front holding his goodie bag.
They only have 2,000 software engineers. You can't expect a team that small to be able to create a polished UI.
Oh wait...
Ralph Jensen, right up front holding his goodie bag.
Stuffed with all things Ezviz, no doubt. Turning him into a virtual human FOB point for the possibly the first shipment to hit U.S. soil.
Though getting thru customs with a life size stuffed moose is no easy task....
I've come to the conclusion that the "media" people covering the security industry ultimately care very little about security or advancing the industry in general. Offer any of them a 10% raise to cover cattle futures, or a lucrative beat reporting on the Pine Wood Derby finals and they'd jump without looking back.
These people are "writers", not "journalists". Their job is to take information they are fed, with little depth of knowledge, and format that into something which can be wrapped in ads and sold.
"Offer any of them..."
Speaking of which, for those of you who remember Geoff Kohl (formerly) at SecurityInfoWatch, he's now a travel editor getting even better free trips.
SDM pulls no punches:
"Hikvision provided a well-balanced itinerary of business, culture and history for the week-long editors’ junket."
A new Hikvision paid trip to China has just finished. Jensen went back, along with 'editors' from SSN, GSN, Security Management and Security Magazine.
Founded in 2001 with 49% foreign capital...
The other 51% in marked bills, with the ink still wet.
50% greater turnout this year,
vs last year
though 90% reduction in women and 100% reduction of goodie bags :(
The image with more people is actually from 2014, see: Hikvision Hosts Trip to China for Key European Customers
That would explain the large date banner from 2014. :)
I just used a simple Jensen test, but apparently I was fooled: