Tech journalist Chris Breen leaves Macworld for job at Apple

Posted:
in General Discussion edited February 2015
Five months after Macworld shipped its last print magazine in September, senior editor and Mac guru Chris Breen on Tuesday announced he will soon leave the publication to take on an unannounced role at Apple.


Former Macworld senior editor Chris Breen. | Source: Lynda.com


Breen, a stalwart Apple journalist who found success at print publications MacUser and subsequently Macworld, revealed his decision to leave the magazine in today's "Mac 911" column.
After decades of offering advice to Apple users in the pages of MacUser and then Macworld, I'm making a career change and heading off to a fruit-flavored tech company sandwiched between Santa Clara and Sunnyvale.
The former senior editor also took to his personal website to thank those who helped him during his time as a journalist.

While at Macworld, Breen produced a substantial number of "how to" articles, product reviews and columns, many of which revolved around Apple's Mac ecosystem. He was also responsible for the publication's podcast and weekly video series.

Breen's move marks yet another Apple hire from the blogger and Apple-centric publication pool, the most recent being AnandTech's Anand Shimpi, who joined the company last August.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 47
    peteopeteo Posts: 402member
    What Re they doing @ Apple? Maybe some good how to guides for iCloud, iPhoto?
  • Reply 2 of 47
    Did we every figure out what Anand Lal Shimpi is doing at Apple?

    This is now two former tech writers that are headed to Cupertino. Have there been any others?
  • Reply 3 of 47
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Michael Scrip View Post



    Did we every figure out what Anand Lal Shimpi is doing at Apple?



    This is now two former tech writers that are headed to Cupertino. Have there been any others?



    Anand's more than a tech writer though, he has a CE degree.

  • Reply 4 of 47
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Love the sound of his voice.
  • Reply 5 of 47
    Anand's more than a tech writer though, he has a CE degree.

    Oh sure. I'm not downplaying Anand's abilities. But for over 15 years he was in the technology publishing industry.

    And Chris Breen has over 30 years as a writer and editor in the tech world.

    I was just wondering what Apple is doing with these people and their particular set of skills. :)
  • Reply 6 of 47
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    If MacWorld wasn't already dead, it certainly is now. Breen has always been a very level headed (despite the hair), Mac journalist. Never too fanboi, with great insight and fair reviews.
    I suspect his new gig at Apple will be music related, given his love and talent in that arena.
  • Reply 7 of 47
    He's an interesting guy to listen to. Maybe Apple will put him to work creating helpful videos or podcasts.
  • Reply 8 of 47

    Wow, this must burn up Jason Snell. Good move for Breen, though.

  • Reply 9 of 47
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post

     

    Wow, this must burn up Jason Snell. Good move for Breen, though.


    Perhaps but I think Breen was better than Snell not by a whole lot but enough IMO. 

     

    I think Snell has more ambitions in writing and he's likely better off outside of the Hive. 

  • Reply 10 of 47
    richlrichl Posts: 2,213member
    And despite his constant cheerleading, DED has yet to get the call. A travesty.
  • Reply 11 of 47
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by hmurchison View Post

     

    Perhaps but I think Breen was better than Snell not by a whole lot but enough IMO. 

     

    I think Snell has more ambitions in writing and he's likely better off outside of the Hive. 


     

    IMO, Breen is OK. I find Snell's writing and podcasts very entertaining.

  • Reply 12 of 47
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    Let's see how the concern trolls in the media spin this as impending doom for Apple. The media concern trolls are out in full force. Two years ago the media was all concerned about lack of innovation at Apple. Some even wondering out loud if Tim Cook needed to be replaced, others spreading rumors that the board was pushing him to innovate faster. Now the trolls are all concerned that Apple is losing its way because *gasp* it's looking into the automobile space, and will be selling a smart watch. And of course raising the bar on the Watch. Never mind that last year Tim Cook told Charlie Rose the watch would "start with the heart", the WSJ says the Watch won't cure cancer so it's a failure and Cook needs to cancel it before it ships. :rolleyes:

    I hope Chris Breen has been hired in a PR capacity. I think Apple really needs help in that arena. They need more good people that shape the message and drive the narrative instead of letting the media do it for them.
  • Reply 13 of 47
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post

     

    Wow, this must burn up Jason Snell. Good move for Breen, though.




    We don't know that Snell wasn't offered a job at one point.

  • Reply 14 of 47
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TheWhiteFalcon View Post

     



    We don't know that Snell wasn't offered a job at one point.




    Actually, Jason Snell is fine with everything...

     

     

  • Reply 15 of 47

    I wonder if this isn't part of an effort to put together a comprehensive documentation of Apple's history, basically an Apple bible. It would certainly help to have people knowledgeable about the historical context, which is something I always appreciate about DED's articles..

     

    Come to think of it, as an agnostic, maybe it's time I find something to worship. One could do a lot worse than Apple. Maybe they've already started:

     

    "Lo, let it be known that on this, the 323rd day of the 38th year since the birth of Apple, the story of the inception of modern man shall be recorded in the reverent application known as Pages. Let no person be blind to the irony that on a day previously attributed to the antics of fools, the vehicle for the rapid evolution of modern man was ignited amidst the glory of the garage of the Founder's parents, for there was no room at the Hewlett Packard headquarters."

     

    ..and so on :)

    Edit: No more coffee for me today.
  • Reply 16 of 47

    Makes me wonder when Apple will hire Jim Dalrymple... :D

  • Reply 17 of 47
    Nope. ;-)
  • Reply 18 of 47
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member

    They should hire the Macalope and be done with it. Let the antlered one be the press liaison. 

  • Reply 19 of 47

    Breen knows tech but he is not in the same league as Anand Lal Shimpi whom Apple also hired recently. Apple must have its reasons, but I wrote Breen off (and Macworld) when he as an editor, invited Andy Inatko to 'describe' why he left Apple for Android on Macworld - and make it like an opinion piece rather than as a review. Still not sure why he did it since he knew that many would be upset with the articles - he took flak,and became quite annoyed by the criticism. At any rate, I think this reflected the rot at Macworld, when Breen and others could no longer decide on whether to remain with Apple centered articles or or try 'click bait' articles like Inatko's. Only thing I wonder - if Macworld folds, will we find out the identity of the Macalope?

  • Reply 20 of 47
    xixoxixo Posts: 450member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by RichL View Post



    And despite his constant cheerleading, DED has yet to get the call. A travesty.

     

    just a matter of time, really....

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