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Sensitive RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis has for the second time demonstrated a lack of ease with the press, storming out of a BBC Click interview.
The BBC interview with Lazaridis concerning the firm’s new BlackBerry PlayBook tablet was progressing smoothly, in fact the segment is a surprisingly rare feature on a commercial product, given the BBC’s usual sensitivities in this area.
However when BBC technology journo Rory Cellan-Jones inquired as to RIM’s issues in countries such as India and the Middle East where the governments want access to BlackBerry’s email system.
Lazaridis called the question unfair and became visibly defensive, taking issue with Cellan-Jones calling the issue a "security problem" before claiming RIM was being "singled out" by the governments in question.
Cellan-Jones pressed the rattled RIM boss, asking him if the issue in the countries in question was being "sorted out" and asking if Lazaridis could give an assurance that people in India and the Middle East could continue to use their BlackBerrys.
To which Lazaridis said "It’s over. The interview is over." The whole cringe-worthy episode can be seen here.
Just a matter of days ago a defensive Lazaridis pressed New York Times journalists, asking them to explain why the firm had been the subject of "negative sentiment" in the press.
Lazaridis demanded to know "Why is it that people don’t appreciate our profits?" Sentiment that wasn’t entirely misplaced given RIM’s solid performance.
That said, there’s ways to get the press to tell your side of the story and there’s ways to get them to post a video of you looking rather silly.
