"Right now, the big trends in tech are really all about labor." Q&A with Insider Tech Editors, Alistair Barr and Matt Weinberger
To help our readers get to know the people that power our newsroom, we host live Twitter conversations called #TheInsideStory on our @InsiderInc account with reporters and editors from our Business, Life, and News sections.
We recently caught up with Global Tech Editor, Alistair Barr, and Deputy Editor, Cloud, Matt Weinberger to get the inside scoop on recent global and local tech trends. During our conversation, they spoke about their career paths, what their teams have been covering, and their insight into current events in the tech space. Be sure to follow Alistair (@alistairmbarr) and Matt (@gamoid) on Twitter.
We’re so excited to have you today, @alistairmbarr and @gamoid! Let’s kick this off with you telling us about your roles at Insider.
Matt Weinberger: I head up our Cloud team on the Tech section, covering the wide world of cloud computing, software developers, databases, and any other kind of business-to-business technology.
Alistair Barr: I am Insider's Global Tech Editor, overseeing our coverage of all things technology behind the paywall
And how did you both discover your passion for both tech and journalism?
Alistair Barr: I wanted to be a great novelist, but had to find a way to pay the rent first. Then I fell in love with meeting and chatting with smart, interesting people.
Matt Weinberger: My dad works in IT, so I grew up around all of this stuff and absorbed a lot of it by osmosis. I always knew I wanted to be some kind of writer; journalism let me bring in my interest in tech, too.
It's great to hear more about your backgrounds! Can you also tell us a bit about what you were doing before joining the team at Insider?
Matt Weinberger: I've been here for a hair over 8 years at this point — I barely remember a time before. But I came up through the trade publications, including a stint at Computerworld, plus a short time working at a startup in marketing.
Alistair Barr: I have an embarrassingly long list of previous journalism jobs. I was a tech editor at Bloomberg and a reporter at WSJ, USA Today, Reuters, MarketWatch and Kiplinger's Magazine
Wow! You’ve both had impressive career paths that brought you to where you are today (and Alistair, I would say that's an EXPERIENCED list!). Is there any advice you would like to share with other aspiring journalists?
Alistair Barr: My 3 top priorities for ambitious reporters:
Sourcing
Then sourcing
And more sourcing. Once you've got knowledgeable sources, a lot of other things (writing, headlines etc) become much easier because the stories are stronger
Matt Weinberger: I graduated college in 2008, which was a pretty lousy time to join the workforce. More than anything, I'd encourage you not to give up, keep your eyes and ears open to opportunity, and not to be afraid to try a different career for a bit — journalism will still be there after.
Great advice from you both, thank you for sharing! Changing “direction,” let’s talk about your geographic locations. You both are near the Bay Area, the most concentrated tech hub in the US. Does this impact how you cover tech topics?
Matt Weinberger: The thing about living in SF is that you install a hot new app on your phone, and then accidentally stumble on that startup's offices while you're out looking for someplace to grab lunch. Tech is literally ingrained into the culture here, for better or for worse.
Alistair Barr: Physical location is not as important as it was. Remote work (and the cost of living in the SF Bay Area) is sending tech talent all over the US. So less need to have all tech reporters in SF. This also means you have a chance to hire diverse reporters who think differently
You both bring up great points. And speaking of moving between physical locations, Alistair, you have also written a book called "The Travel Bug." Can you tell us what inspired this story? And then we have a fun follow-up question for you both.
Alistair Barr: Thank you for the opportunity to shamelessly plug my book (link below to order!). My wife @woolleyk1 traveled around the world for a year in 2003. I wrote all about it, including my fear of bugs. Lotsa bugs out there, people.
Travel Bug by Alistair Barr
Yikes, we're not a fan of creepy crawlers either... thanks for sharing! Opening it up to you both, where are your favorite places that you’ve visited and why?
Alistair Barr: India was memorable back in 2003. Despite globalization, it was still dominated by its own culture and products
Matt Weinberger: Oh man, I'm a big Disney World guy. But we just got back from a trip to Europe where we stayed in this fabulous castle in Bruges, so I gotta give it up for Belgium.
Bruges, Belgium shared by Matt Weinberger
Ooh, that castle has been added to the must-see list! Bringing it back to Insider for a moment, what are your favorite tech topics to cover? What are some of the global and local trends your teams have been writing about recently?
Alistair Barr: Global: What's the future of the tech industry's supply chain? Will most devices still be made in China? Will chips really be made in the US and Europe again? Local: Remote work is going to radically change tech/cloud products and services
Matt Weinberger: Right now, the big trends in tech are really all about labor — the relationships between the major companies and their workforces, especially as the economy cools off after years of growth. That includes the Great Resignation, the rising appetite for unionization...and issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
Sounds like the emphasis is really on the people element behind tech. These topics can be hard to understand to someone who is unfamiliar. Matt, you have a special knowledge of cloud computing. What are the key takeaways you think readers should understand?
Matt Weinberger: The thing about the cloud is that the systems being put in place today will power literally everything else for years or decades to come. That makes the cloud platforms and their ecosystems an under-scrutinized (imo, lol) network of power brokers.
Also, as I like to say, two of the most powerful business IT execs in the business are island-owning billionaires who hate each other, and if you don't find that interesting...
We’re winding down to the end of our Q&A. But, before we do, we are on Twitter after all. In light of recent events and discussions about data privacy, what do you think the future holds for social media platforms?
Alistair Barr: It's now less about who your friends are. Facebook's latest product change is moving away from the original social network and toward TikTok's approach, which sees what you watch and recommends more in smart/powerful (and chilling?) ways.