It’s a journalistic disaster, and CBS has seriously damaged the tech review and news site it bought for nearly $1.8 billion in 2008. How can you tell readers what the best gadgets are if you’re prevented from writing about them? How can readers trust your judgment when the corporate creeps fiddle with your newsroom? What else does CBS tell CNET to do that we don’t find out about?
After CNET chose Dish Network’s Hopper with Sling as the best of CES tech show, parent company CBS stepped in and asked CNET to cease and desist. CBS is involved in litigation with Dish over the Hopper with Sling, a DVR that allows users to skip commercials on recorded content.
In response, CNET gave the best of CES award to another product, and added an editor’s note to the review of the Hopper with Sling:
Editors’ note: The Dish Hopper with Sling, the original pick for Best Home Theater and Audio product and Best of Show, was removed from consideration due to active litigation involving our parent company, CBS Corp. We will no longer be reviewing products manufactured by companies with which we are in litigation with respect to such product.
This move by CNET calls into question their editorial integrity. Greg Sandoval quit in protest, tweeting that he no longer has “confidence that CBS is committed to editorial independence.” Today, editor Lesley Turpentine released a statement addressing CNET’s side of the story and why she decided to stay at CNET after the incident.
What do you think?
(Source: cjr.org)
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