The Stealth Apple Shareholder Meeting

I'm not sure of the wisdom here but I'm sure the decision to hold a shareholder meeting while also dutifully hand-cuffing the media trying to cover it was not made lightly, or without a lot of forethought.

To wit, Apple will not be streaming the event to its website, a restriction it has historically used. Nor, I'm told, will Apple allow any communication devices into the event so those of us trying to cover it can live blog. No Blackberrys. No iPhones. No laptops of any kind.

More like a "prevent" than "event," I suppose.

How these decisions jibe with financial disclosure regulations I have no idea, but the restrictions are plainly spelled out in the company's proxy.

Apple has a history of being secretive. It also has a history of widespread media coverage, and a voracious appetite among reporters — hundreds of us — for any tidbits of news from the company. By not making the event open, streaming it, or letting us live blog it, Apple leaves itself open to a huge amount of media filtration after the fact. Let us cover the event as it happens and everyone gets to see what's going on when it actually goes on. Force us all to wait until it's over and that gives us time to analyze and characterize what went on.

The meeting might get contentious. It might not. Who knows. But hiding behind a communication blackout in this era, from an innovative company so steeped in creating the next generation of communication is as anachronistic as courtroom artists sketching their way through a trial.

Makes no sense. And with these restrictions, look for even more intense coverage and analysis after the fact. And check back here often. I'll do the best I can.

The meeting is set to start at 10am/pst - 1pm/et.

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