Technology journalist and co-founder of Recode, Kara Swisher, recently retweeted an announcement regarding the upcoming CODE Conference. The tweet revealed that the conference will be hosted by some of the most prominent names in tech journalism today: The Verge’s Dieter Bohn, Platformer’s Casey Newton, and CNBC’s Julia Boorstin.
The CODE Conference is an annual event that brings together some of the biggest names in technology to discuss current trends and issues facing the industry. This year’s conference promises to be no different with a focus on topics such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and privacy concerns.
Dieter Bohn has been covering technology for over a decade and is currently the executive editor at The Verge. He has written extensively about various tech giants such as Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Casey Newton is also a well-known name in tech journalism who gained prominence during his time at The Verge before starting his own publication – Platformer – which focuses on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Finally, Julia Boorstin covers media and entertainment for CNBC while also frequently reporting on technology-related news stories.
This announcement generated excitement among those who follow these journalists closely as they are widely respected voices within the industry. However, it also raises questions about diversity within tech journalism given that all three hosts are white men.
As noted by Nieman Lab’s Laura Hazard Owen: “It would have been great if one of them had been a woman or person of color.” She goes on to say that while there were likely many qualified candidates for this role outside of those selected, it ultimately comes down to who has built up enough credibility within the industry to earn such a high-profile gig.
This lack of representation is not unique to this particular event or group of individuals but is reflective of larger issues present across many industries including technology. As previously reported by Forbes magazine back in 2019: “women hold just 26% of computing jobs in the US and Black and Hispanic workers make up just 13% of employees at major tech companies.”
While this year’s CODE Conference promises to be a valuable event for those who attend, it is also important to recognize that there are still challenges to overcome within the industry when it comes to representation. It is up to individuals and organizations alike to take steps towards creating more diverse and inclusive spaces.
In conclusion, the announcement regarding this year’s hosts for the CODE Conference generated excitement among many in the tech journalism community. The chosen journalists, Dieter Bohn, Casey Newton, and Julia Boorstin all have extensive experience covering various aspects of technology. However, their selection also highlights larger issues regarding diversity within both tech journalism and the broader technology industry as a whole. While progress has been made in recent years, there is still much work to be done towards creating more equitable spaces for all voices within these fields.