Bchabony's List: Researching Credible Connections

Fender Musical Instruments Corp.

The reason I chose this company is because I have been using and loving their products for years. As a guitar player, the Fender Stratocaster is something of an icon to me. My first guitar wasn't a Stratocaster, but my first GOOD guitar was. Playing that guitar for the first time was almost a religious experience for me, and 10 years later it's still my favorite instrument.

Fender was also instrumental (hah) in the careers of some of my idols; Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, to name a few. I even painted my Strat to look like one of Jimi's. To me, Fender is synonymous with Rock n Roll, and The Blues, and that goes straight to my soul. I feel a personal connection with this company.

LexisNexis article #1

Title: "For Musicians, Stratocasters will never get old"

Permalink: http://www.lexisnexis.com.oclc.fullsail.edu:81/lnacui2api/api/version1/getDocCui?lni=5BN8-2381-DXXY-303J&csi=8411&hl=t&hv=t&hnsd=f&hns=t&hgn=t&oc=00240&perma=true

Evaluation:
The author is Randy Lewis. No titles or job descriptions are listed for him and the article originates from the Washington Post newspaper.
The article was published on February 23, 2014, and updated on March 4, 2014. The publication has a great reputation and due to its long history (founded in 1877) is in good standing.
The focus of the article is the timelessness and popularity of the Fender Stratocaster guitar. The article is brief but accurate. The article does seem bias towards the Stratocaster, however, it includes some positive reviews of the guitar from some very notable and legendary musicians. It makes a strong case to convince someone that the Stratocaster is the best guitar available.
The author quotes several musicians throughout the article. These quotes help to establish credibility, since the musicians they originate from are very reputable. There are no links available in the article.

Response:
I personally found the article to be credible. I would've liked to have seen more specific citations and links, but I think the information within the article, as well as the publication itself, support the article's credibility. It's hard to argue against Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton when you're talking about the quality of a guitar.

LexisNexis article #2

Title: "Fender to stop U.S. assembly of 'iconic' Ovation guitars

Permalink: http://www.lexisnexis.com.oclc.fullsail.edu:81/lnacui2api/api/version1/getDocCui?lni=5C25-5BW1-JCRP-C4F7&csi=8411&hl=t&hv=t&hnsd=f&hns=t&hgn=t&oc=00240&perma=true

Evaluation:
The author is listed as Dave Collins, Associated Press. The article originates from 'The Globe and Mail' newspaper.
The article was published on April 24, 2014 and updated on April 29, 2014. The publication has a good standing, as it is the second largest daily newspaper in Canada, with a weekly readership of about 1 million people.
The focus of the article is the end of production of a line of Fender guitars. The information was presented accurately and thoroughly and is free of bias. This article has no agenda and is not trying to convince the reader.
The author effectively uses quotes from people involved in the story to provide accuracy and detail. However, no links are available.
The article was very easy to navigate and read. Copyright information is clearly visible at the bottom of the page.

Response:
I believe that this article is credible. The information is presented in a very straight-forward way without bias. Several people are quoted in the article and this helps to provide some specific detail. I'm not familiar with the publication, a Canadian daily newspaper, but its vast readership and long history increase its credibility for me.

Google article #1

Title: "In Search of Star Power, Fender Enlists Members of U2"

Permalink: http://nyti.ms/1hf3OJE

Evaluation:
The article's author is Michael J. De La Merced. No titles are listed for him. The article originates from "DealBook", a section of the New York Times.
The article was posted on the New York Times website May 28, 2014, and appeared in the print version of the NYT the following day. The article has not been revised or updated. The publication has a long history and is reputable among readers.
The article's focus is the recent addition of some notable musicians to Fender's board of consultants. Fender has dealt with some struggles in the advent of the digital age, so they are enlisting the help of musicians from the band U2. The information is thorough and factual. This article mentions the glory and prestige of the Fender brand, but does not shy away from the company's recent struggles. The presentation of Fender in a fair and informative light leads me to believe that this article is free of bias.
Links are provided throughout the article, which help to establish background information. The links are current and active, and although the first one that I clicked on sent me to an advertisement before allowing me to view the linked article, I found them helpful.
The article was very easy to navigate. Links were worked into the article in a seamless, free-flowing way. The article is copyrighted by The New York Times Company, which is clearly posted at the bottom of the page.

Response:
I find this article to be credible. It comes from a very reputable publisher and is factual throughout. The fact that the article contains both positive and negative information about the Fender corporation shows me that the author has no bias here. Information in the article is supported by several links and quotes.

Google article #2

Title: "Fender music to Clapton's ears, but not investors'"

Permalink: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/fender-music-to-claptons-ears-but-not-investors-2012-05-23

Evaluation:
The author of the article is Ben Weiss. He is listed as the head of a boutique venture capital firm in Hong Kong, and has worked throughout the Asia-Pacific region for hedge funds and private equity firms. The article originates from MarketWatch, a division of the Wall Street Journal.
The article is most recently dated May 23, 2012 to reflect a correction that was made within the article. The Wall Street Journal is respected by readers and investors.
The focus of the article is the financial situation of the Fender Musical Instrument Corporation. The company is preparing to go public, however, it has been losing money in recent years. These financial struggles may persuade investors to look elsewhere. The article is accurate and thorough, containing many specific figures and statistics. The article is written from a purely financial standpoint and seems unbiased. The article is not trying to convince the reader of anything, merely presenting information for the reader to make his or her own decision about the Fender corporation.
Links to some of Fender's financial statistics, as well as information on other comparable companies can be found throughout the article. These links help to show exactly how Fender is struggling, whereas some other companies are succeeding. While the article was published in 2012, the links still remain current and active.
The article was very easy to navigate. Linked information popped up in separate windows, allowing me to stay on the main article page while checking out the links. I love that feature. The article is copyrighted by MarketWatch Inc., and copyright information is visible at the bottom of the page.

Response:
For me this article is credible. The information is presented in a very factual way, with specific numbers and statistics available to support it. I'm not very familiar with the world of Wall Street, so I found some of the terms and concepts throughout the article to be a little confusing. However, the supporting information found in the links helped to clear that up.