An NYT style section piece yesterday notes how quickly the “Saint Steve” stories after Steve Jobs’ death turned snarky, suggesting some sort of cultural shift in how media treat the deaths of the famous. Maybe. More likely is the unusual happenstance of having the Walter Isaacson biography hit store shelves so soon after the Apple chief’s death, making the cherry-picking of “bad Steve” anecdotes irresistible.
Noted: In the lede of the NYT piece, this Mercury News’ headline of Oct. 5 is offered up as Exhibit A of the early worshipful media treatment: “Silicon Valley’s radiant Sun King.”