UPDATED 12:00 EDT / MARCH 11 2019

NEWS

In troubled times for media, the inspiring legacy of Computerworld founder Patrick McGovern

What would the history of information technology be without Patrick McGovern? Most readers may not know his name, but they likely have read a number of publications within his technology media empire, International Data Group Inc. Over several decades, it spawned 300 publications to form a constant fount of knowledge for thirsty techies and tech consumers.

“He was not a household name,” said Glenn Rifkin (pictured), author, reporter and contributor to The New York Times. “You didn’t think of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and then Pat McGovern.” However, those truly in the know realize that in his own way, McGovern was just as important as Jobs and Gates, Rifkin added.

“Somebody had to chronicle this story; somebody had to share the story of the evolution of this amazing information technology and how it changed the world,” Rifkin said. 

That person was McGovern. The story of technology as technologists and the general public know it owes much to IDG. McGovern founded IDG in 1964 before computing technology had made its way into the minds of regular folks. McGovern saw that a fascinating, potentially world-changing story was about to unfold. His legacy has important lessons for today’s editors and journalists navigating the shifting, uncertain media landscape.

Rifkin chronicles McGovern’s rise to media moguldom in his book, “Future Forward: Leadership Lessons From Patrick McGovern, the Visionary Who Circled the Globe and Built a Technology Media Empire.” Rifkin spoke with Dave Vellante, host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile livestreaming studio, for a CUBE Conversation at theCUBE’s studio in Boston, Massachusetts. They discussed McGovern’s one-of-kind leadership style and the bold editorial and business moves he made over the years.

Tricky trade press balancing act

One remarkable thing about McGovern’s daily behavior as head of IDG was his regard for each and every employee. For example, each year, McGovern would personally hand each employee his or her (substantial) holiday bonus. Five years after his death, one can still sense deep affection for the man among those who worked for him, according to Rifkin.

This is not always the case with powerful moguls in technology, media, or anywhere else. “Steve Jobs left a great legacy of creativity; he was not a wonderful guy to his employees,” Rifkin said.

Rifkin once served as an editor of the IDG publication Computerworld. He recalls his misgivings about entering the world of trade publications: The trade press had a reputation for being a little too cozy with the advertisers,” he said.

But McGovern insisted that the brand was built on integrity. If readers don’t believe the reporting is true and factual, in the long run there won’t be a large enough readership to attract advertisers anyway, Rifkin remembers McGovern pointing out. 

Occasionally, sales guys would hint that they should take it easy on a vendor because of its contribution of ad dollars. “Pat just would always back the editor and say, ‘That’s not gonna happen,'” Rifkin said. “And it caused friction for sure, but he was unwavering in his support.”

McGovern’s adamance worked out for everyone involved. Computerworld became the bible of the industry and a cash cow for IDG, which saw its empire grow to $3.8 billion.

Funding difficulties and dubious news on social media make media integrity a front-page concern these days. “The challenge is to maintain some level of integrity in the kind of reporting that you do, and it’s more important now than ever,” Rifkin said. “I think that somebody like Pat would be an important figure if he was still around in trying to keep that going.” 

McGovern stuck to his own guns again when he began traveling to China to plant IDG seeds there. “The board was furious. They said, ‘How can you do business with the commies? You’re going to ruin our brand,'” Rifkin said.

Computerworld subsequently became the biggest publication in China. Last year, Chinese investment company China Oceanwide Holdings Group acquired IDG.

Here’s the complete video interview, one of many CUBE Conversations from SiliconANGLE and theCUBE:

Photo: SiliconANGLE

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