Industry Watcher Takes a Look at the Massachusetts Tech Scene

A few weeks ago, I commented on the tech media drop-off in Massachusetts -- a decline that doesn't seem to align with promising developments around technology in this region.  Well, one of the industry-watchers keeping an eye trained on Boston just weighed in on the strength of the region's tech community.  In this article, Mashable spotlights 15 of the region's behind-the-scenes influencers and got their perspective on what makes Boston and surrounding communities a tech hot-bed.  The list is an impressive one, and while I don't disagree with their choices -- or with the thoughts these influencers shared on makes our region special -- I can think of may more folks who are contributing to our tech scene.  More than anything, I'm pleased to see yet another positive viewpoint on the innovation and entrepreneurship that continues to define the region.

Massachusetts Tech Sector is Looking Up -- But What About Tech Media

A few days ago, the Mass Technology Leadership Council released a “State of Technology” report benchmarking the tech sector’s impact on the Massachusetts economy – and the story was a positive one.  There was data detailing the jobs and wages created by tech – in that sector, in businesses technology helped to create (like clean energy and biopharma), in those industries increasingly enabled by technology (healthcare and financial services), and finally in those business that support tech companies (restaurants and delivery services).  There were anecdotes from those who are helping to advance the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship that makes the state a “global gateway” for tech companies. And there were snapshots of the Massachusetts firms creating the broad spectrum of technologies that are changing our world.

Fortune.com didn’t paint as positive a picture in their report on the technology community in Massachusetts that appeared a few weeks earlier.

Actually, there some commonalities. The MassTLC report emphasized the need to business, government and the state’s unmatched academic community to work together to help tech reach its potential and attract more companies and create more jobs in Massachusetts.   The report also show us how the state matched up against other tech hot-spots.

The Fortune.com article made an interesting point about some of the reasons behind the challenge they saw for Massachusetts as the state battles for tech leadership with other regions:  the dearth of local tech reporters.

As a PR professional who has worked with tech media for many years, I can understand this point.  There are clearly fewer tech publications based here and far fewer reporters assigned to cover technology.  Some of this can be traced to the media consolidation that is taking place industry-wide.

But as Fortune.com reporter Dan Primack points out:

 “TechCrunch does not have a single Boston-based reporter. Neither does Re/Code, Pando. The Verge, nor VentureBeat. And the same goes for more mainstream business outlets like The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg or Reuters. As for Fortune, I'm one of just two local reporters -- and neither of us primarily cover technology.”

There are some bright spots – and in some cases, the work being done today surpasses what we saw in the boom days for tech media in the region. 

Primack talks about the tech community in NY benefiting from the concentration of media in the Big Apple, and the positive buzz in Silicon Valley that results from that region’s “incestuous tech scene” which includes an unparalleled cluster of technology media.

In his conclusion, Primack suggests that if more tech reporters return to region, Massachusetts we would see a resurgence of tech industry activity.

Perhaps that’s true, but I believe that if the MassTLC report is on the mark – and I think it is – the tech media will return to the region because of what’s happening in a rejuvenated and increasing influential and impactful Massachusetts technology community.