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“Uber" critical of journalists

An executive of the app-based ride-sharing company, unhappy with critical media coverage, suggested it should dig up personal information about journalists and make it public. Missouri School of Journalism professors Earnest Perry, Mike McKean and Amy Simons discuss the issue.

For more, follow Views of the News on Facebookand Twitter.

http://youtu.be/eCUBwF6NMB4

After PandoDaily's Sarah Lacey criticized Uber for it's sexist behaviors, Uber senior executive Emil Michael joked that the company should hire a team of researchers and journalists to look into the personal lives of the media. The comment was made during a dinner party attended by an editor from Buzzfeed, who later reported an account of the incident.

While Michael later claimed the party was "off the record," but Professor Earnest Perry said that the executive's defense didn't make sense.

"I cannot believe in today's age that people who are in these positions don't understand that whenever you make a comment in front of a group or in any setting, that it is on the record regardless of what you might think or what someone may say."

This incident is just one of many recent criticisms of Uber, including the use of it's 'God View' tool that allows the company to track any of its users. 

But Professor Mike McKean said the bad press most likely won't hurt Uber's growing popularity.

"These venture capitals firms that invest in [Uber] and give them all their money, they just don't care about public perception, as long as they think that there is going to be a profit."

For more, follow Views of the News on Facebookand Twitter.

 

Hope Kirwan left KBIA in September 2015.
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