Earlier this week, Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller did something very out of character for an Apple exec: he talked to a member of the press. Not at a press conference or event, but in an email, as a response to a blog posting.

Schiller sent an email to Daring Fireball's John Gruber in regards to an earlier posting Gruber had made about the App Store's review process. The article centered on a dictionary app that was censored. The exec corrects a few points and clarifies the company's stance.

You can read about the story itself on Daring Fireball, so let's look into the more remarkable fact that the company is taking this seriously enough that executives are personally responding to news reports and blog postings.

As with most companies, Apple shields its executives from the press with a full compliment of press contacts and media relations people. It's pretty rare for any executive to speak with reporters outside of the context of press conferences or product releases.

Gruber is a well-known and respected member of the Mac blogging community, but for someone as high-ranking as Schiller to address the post, the company has apparently had enough of the bad press and is now working to address what it sees as inaccurate coverage.

Hopefully this extends beyond the App Store and into the company's other product lines. Personally, I welcome factual corrections from companies, it makes the stories better and assures that all sides are heard from. Apple is notoriously tight-lipped with the press, and sometimes that means that they take heat for things unjustly.

08 Aug 2009