Hurd Ain't Off the Hook

According to the Merc, Hurd could be a bit more "in the know" than he's letting on. If these assertions are correct, he's just ruined his credibility with the press forever and ever, Amen. Even if the public forgives and forgets, reporters do not.

Although I gotta say, I've heard stories from PR people who are friends who've worked with some of the most high profile consumer tech brands in the world, and more than a few have talked about questionable practices when it comes to reactions to new product leaks. This is taking it much further than I've ever heard, but I do know of instances where reporters have been punished for leaking things by being blacklisted from the "short list" of folks to brief on new product announcements. This might be the industry's dirty little secret.

I have to say, this thing is such a nightmare, I don't know what I would suggest were I their PR person. This pretty much sums it up:

``The cure, in this case, appears to have been far worse than the disease, and now poses a far greater threat to Hewlett-Packard,'' Dingell said.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/15629555.htm