Hello Friends:

Although one person seems to enjoy making sport of my profession, I'm
going to try to stick to the high road here and not respond in kind.
I just want to note that facts and records are a business I was
trained to pursue with a degree,  like many programmers and analysts.
Public remarks about reporters "inflaming" stories seem uncalled for
-- we're around to serve people like the Interex board, when they
want press attention over their merger recommendation. Theirs was a
move based on owning 100 shares of HP, hardly a substantial amount in
a 1.9 billion share stock fight. Maybe once reporters start thinking
for themselves, some people think it's time to heat up the snide tar
and feathers. It sure felt that way this morning.

But this afternoon I'm feeling pretty good about the work I've
chosen, thanks to a couple of collegues of mine. I think of anybody
who reports for a living as one of my colleagues. Over at the San
Jose Mercury News, Michelle Quinn and Tracy Seipel broke a story
about HP's CEO -- in a voicemail, she's asking her CFO to take
"extraordinary measures" to swing Deustche Assets' millions of shares
to HP's side. It's likely to become evidence in Walter Hewlett's
lawsuit.

These two reporters had a voicemail from inside HP dropped in their
laps, one with the CEO's voice confirmed by HP. They confirmed it and
got HP to comment, along with some legal experts. Good work, guys.
Read their story about their efforts yourself at
<http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/3031960.htm>. And
check our the HP CEO playing hardball in the transcript at
<http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/3032968.htm>

To Denys, all this may seem like inflaming a story. All I know is
that somebody inside HP thought this arm-twisting was bad behavior.
All we reporters do is try to tell the truth, which can be a slippery
thing. Yes, there's bias. We're human too. But on the upside, someone
inside HP trusted these reporters, maybe at the risk of their job.
That's the part of my job that feels the best: when we're trusted.
That trust carries a responsibility, too. It's why reporters' work is
protected by the US Bill of Rights. It's an old document, sure -- but
it's a keystone to a free American experience.

>Ron, good of you to join the fray.
>
>As a reader of news for over 40 years, I can tell you that reporters LOVE
>conflict, in fact they thrive on it and they do everything they can to
>inflame it and extend it, usually by confronting subjects of news with
>aggressive questions.  The bias of a reporter (and they ALL have a bias)
>always comes through in a story.  Your bias has been showing for a long time
>and the bias you now have for the current events is coming out loud and
>clear.  But that's OK.  Bias is not a bad thing in itself.  The readers know
>where you stand and can figure out how and why you couch a story one way
>versus another way.  I have a bias also as I believe the merger is a good
>thing.  However, I do not think the way HP has handled itself was proper.  I
>think it will go down in the annals of business as the perfect example of
>how not to do a merger.  I have a bias, but I think HP screwed up, a lot.  I
>also believe Walter Hewlett presented a healthy dissent, which is sorely
>needed at times, except after the vote is done.  I think Walter Hewlett's
>shenanigans, AFTER HE VOTED IN FAVOR of the merger are unconscionable.
>There is simply no excuse for that.  He later explained that he voted in
>favor at the time to get a certain price or some such Byzantine excuse. It
>seems like he acts one way in the boardroom, goes home and does something
>completely different the next day.  But that was just one occurrence, maybe
>just an aberration.
>
>You have a bias, but in your case, Walter Hewlett can do no wrong and the HP
>board can do no right.
>

--

Ron Seybold, Editor In Chief
The 3000 NewsWire
Independent Information to Maximize Your HP 3000
http://www.3000newswire.com
512.331.0075 -- [log in to unmask]

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