Stung By Media Coverage, Silicon Valley Starts Its Own Publications

Many journalists who cover technology have no idea what Marc Andreessen, one of the most powerful investors in Silicon Valley, has tweeted lately. That’s because the co-founder and general partner of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz loves blocking journalists, along with critics of the tech industry and anyone else who might be seen as an antagonist. “It’s become a badge of honor to get blocked by him,” said Sara M. Watson, technology critic and senior analyst at data firm Insider Intelligence. As tech reporting has shifted from being dazzled by the latest gadgets and apps to concerned over its impact on people and institutions, Silicon Valley’s elite have searched for a way to bypass the critical eye of journalists altogether. Now companies and investors are trying to regain control of the narrative by launching their own media publications, with rah-rah stories that they hope will compete directly with news coverage of technology. The most recent entrant into this trend is Andreessen Horowitz’s Future, which bills itself as “the future of media.” The site consists mostly of techno-optimistic articles written by people who have a financial stake in the ideas they are pitching, many from companies backed by Andreessen Horowitz. But…
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