Information technology is ever-changing. Information and communication technology (ICT) journalists play a significant part in diffusing, explaining and interpreting these new technologies and in forging the societal understanding of future trends, influencing both their audience and the developers they cover. They are important gatekeepers and their coverage is – most likely – decisive for the success or failure of new products. To explore this function of ICT journalism, an online survey of 102 ICT journalists in Germany was conducted, including 32 journalists in managing roles. This study focuses on two research questions: (a) how do ICT journalists perceive their relationship to and their effects on the audience; (b) how do journalists perceive their relationship with and their effects on ICT manufacturers? Our findings suggest that ICT journalists picture themselves in a key role as clandestine deciders who shape the audience’s consuming behaviour, as well as developers’ strategies for designing products.