UK Lets The Recording Industry Decide What Websites To Censor

News.com Picks Best Of Mobile World Congress, But Leaves You Wondering Which CBS Lawsuit Partner They Didn't Review

from the tainted dept

Thu, Feb 28th 2013 4:06pm — Mike Masnick

Mobile World Congress, the big trade show for mobile devices, just wrapped up. It's become sort of the go-to place for mobile device makers to announce their new products (even though two of the bigger Android developers, Samsung and HTC, decided to do their big announcements outside of MWC). For the tech press, it's the the "next big show" after CES. As you may remember, there was a bit of a kerfuffle as CNET's parent company, CBS broke down (with sledgehammers) that big wall between business and editorial by forcing CNET to take away the "Best of Show" award they had chosen to give Dish's latest DVR, all because CBS was suing Dish over the product. So, when I saw that CNET had awarded the Ubuntu Touch as "Best of Show" for MWC, all I could wonder was what products did CBS ban CNET from covering at MWC. Once tainted, it's difficult to trust their reviews ever again, which is a real shame.

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Filed Under: best of, ces, cnet, journalism, mobile world congress, reviews, trust
Companies: cbs

9 Comments

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S. T. Stone, 28 Feb 2013 @ 4:13pm

The comments section over on the article has already called CNET out for their now-tainted editorial process, so at least you sit in good company.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Feb 2013 @ 4:23pm

Honestly, the damage is done. I would not trust CNET to pick the best flea, much less some new product because none of us can be sure some sort of guidelines have already been handed down to CNET about what it can or can not pick.

Once you damage the trust and confidence of the public with something like a corporate over ride after the fact, there no longer remains any integrity to be believed.

The deed is done, the damage has been wrought.
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sehlat (profile), 28 Feb 2013 @ 4:25pm

We Need a List
Specifically, I'd like to see a list of ALL products at the show which includes whether or not CBS has a lawsuit going against their makers. Then at least we can judge the award in the light of day.
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That One Guy (profile), 28 Feb 2013 @ 4:38pm

Re: We Need a List
I'd go farther and say 'lawsuit or business deal'.

After all if they are willing to interfere with reporting based upon a negative relationship with the maker of a product, it's not much of a stretch to wonder if a positive relationship might affect any reviews or reporting a product might get as well.
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sehlat (profile), 28 Feb 2013 @ 4:40pm

Re: Re: We Need a List
Good thought. On further consideration, VERY good thought.
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Spaceman Spiff (profile), 28 Feb 2013 @ 5:48pm

CES did the right thing
At least CES did the right thing and fired CNET/CBS and decided to award the best-in-show prize to Dish's DVR after all. Hopefully, MWC will get a clue from that for the future!
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Ninja (profile), 1 Mar 2013 @ 2:29am

Hopefully this will serve as an example. Trust is something that takes time to build and seconds to destroy. And once destroyed it will be much, much harder to build it again. This is valid for people, businesses and pretty much every relation in life.
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vastrightwing, 1 Mar 2013 @ 9:54am

How much of a kick back did they get?
Forget the editorial review board. How much did it cost Canonical to get that award? That's what I want to know!
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RonKaminsky (profile), 1 Mar 2013 @ 11:54am

Re: How much of a kick back did they get?
You've got it backwards. CNET's pockets were obviously shunned by the big commercial players, here; tauting open-source is its way of tweaking their nose in return.
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