Chris RobertsFeb 2, 2023
Dan Gillmor

Fine reporting at the Verge on the ethical meltdown at CNET -- https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/2/23582046/cnet-red-ventures-ai-seo-advertisers-changed-reviews-editorial-independence-affiliate-marketing

We need much more of this kind of reporting about journalism.

CNET pushed reporters to be more favorable to advertisers, staffers say

Former staff at the tech news site CNET say that journalists have had to defend the outlet’s editorial independence from parent company Red Ventures. Former staff say stories were changed due to Red Ventures’ ad deals.

The Verge
Feb 2, 2023 at 2:35pmMastodon for Android
Show threadJohn GordonFeb 2, 2023

@dangillmor

Sincerely, really sincerely, has private equity like Red Ventures improved anything in the past 5 years?

I think there were a few non-horrible PE outcomes in the 00s but lately they all seem to be about extracting revenue while killing product. When anything I use is acquired by PE I plan on its demise.

#privateEquity

Show threadAdmiralFrostyFeb 2, 2023
@dangillmor There have been articles filled with CNET dirt before, but this one is massive. There's a lot more in here than just a few instances of editorial pressure!
Show threadRevJeberFeb 2, 2023
@dangillmor
I remember a phrase from before the advent of cell phones. We need to employ the concept of "drop a dime" on companies like Twitter and CNET.
Show threadKenn WhiteFeb 2, 2023
@dangillmor @soatok this is one of the reasons I mocked consumer VPN reviews — for years — on CNET. This latest scandal was a long time in the making.
Show threadJosh RiversFeb 3, 2023
@dangillmor now CNET should retaliate with dozens of AI written exposes on The Verge. And then retract them in a couple weeks.
Show threadShoqFeb 3, 2023
@dangillmor Do you think there is more out there than we have the current capacity or facility to discover? I keep thinking that making it all more visible and accessible just has to lead to more and better journalism. As we know, merely publishing stuff doesn't mean it gets any reach. The fedi is potentially a reach-monster, if we can just figure out how to that make it more ubiquitous. SSO would help, but that's just transport. We also need to reimagine gatekeepers and how they propagate.
Show threadDan GillmorFeb 3, 2023
@shoq Visibility from the fringe is a big issue. So far, the extremist right has developed the best techniques to make it happen (though they've had major assistance from Fox "News" and politicians -- and, once BS is "out there" -- from supposedly responsible media.
Show threadShoqFeb 3, 2023
@dangillmor Agree. But if we can't squelch their visibility, it feels like amplifying what remains is crucial. But if that's wrong, and it probably is, then what else can mitigate this steadily growing reality and accountability gap in society? Is there any process by which we can even start to figure that out, or do we just shrug, salute the flag, and march on down the road toward autocracy, Idiocracy, or both? I'm beyond flummoxed by this question.
Show threadiquanyinFeb 8, 2023
@dangillmor i was on the web for under a year when i realized they weren’t trustworthy. that was around the time of iphone 1…