Gurman: Apple's influencer-led reviews are an echo chamber that breeds mediocrity
alexmacgregor__ · x · 2026-09-20
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman sparked debate by criticizing Apple's growing reliance on influencers for events and product "reviews" — people who say only positive things and never ask executives legitimate questions, in exchange for free devices and travel. He argues this echo chamber will lead to mediocrity.
Replier alexmacgregor agrees it's a real problem for brands favoring paid influencers over journalists: in the Jobs era, traditional journalists applied neutrality and rigor, creating a win-win — Apple learned from real criticism (antennagate) and consumers learned what to buy. Some influencers do great work, but most are in it for money and fame.
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