CNET Reports On Losing CES 'Best In Show' Powers, But Hides Byline
from the wtf-is-going-on? dept
So we just wrote about how CEA had taken away CNET’s ability to name the “best of show” product at CES (then re-named the Dish Hopper with Sling as the Best in Show as CNET staff had originally intended). Somewhat surprisingly, given the publications’ reluctance to say too much about all of this so far, CNET, itself, reported the story, talking about itself in an almost creepily bland manner, and never even noting the oddity that it is reporting on itself. However, one tidbit stands out:

Filed Under: bylines, conflicts, journalism, reporting
Companies: cbs, cea, cnet, dish
Comments on “CNET Reports On Losing CES 'Best In Show' Powers, But Hides Byline”
None of the above
It’s the editors trying to hide the fact that they’re writing copy themselves.
Re: None of the above
The piece was probably written by higher ups at CBS and then checked over by lawyers before being published.
Re: Re: None of the above
If the CBS panjandrums had written the headline, I think it would have gone more like this:
Re: None of the above
Good point…
Re: ems
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Re: ems
what do theith men name 3 good things about ces
No, you’ve got it all wrong. “CNET News Staff” is the person’s actual real legal name.
I expect that Mr. Staff got a lot of teasing in grade school. Who’s laughing now?
Clicking on the byline “name” just reloads the same article – all other byline names link to the author page for that individual. So I did a Google exact match search on “CNet News Staff” and it brings up several articles with the same byline going back to at least 2011. Each of the articles I checked also had that byline link to the article it was used on.
Maybe it’s hiding, maybe its a protest, however as much as the whole fiasco makes me want to vomit, my guess for this is it’s usually articles written by interns, or more likely, a senior staff member who is not a regular author. Which of course, in context, makes it even more head-scratchingly annoying to see…
Dammit!
I told them not to use my name on that article. Now I’m gonna get fired, and even changed my legal name to show my dedication to CNET to get the job, and let me tell yo, changing your legal name is a *pain*. So much paperwork.
Took me *years *to get my wife to stop calling me “Steve”.
Re: Dammit!
“Took me *years *to get my wife to stop calling me “Steve”.”
Try something more common, like Cooper.
Alan or DB will keep her guessing!
for enquiring minds
CNET fell to the bottom of the heap along with Daily Mail etc. Fuck’em I couldn’t care less how they try to ‘apologize’ for their parent company. Part ways or suck it up and come to terms with being the bitch! Fucking hacks.
I dropped CNET from my daily read
Suggest you all do the same. A massive drop in readership is the best outcome of this fiasco.
CNET: now the bastion of journalistic iniquity, and malware distribution...
Yes, I said “virus/spam distribution”. I sent the esteemed editors of this fine publication a link (http://askbobrankin.com/download_alert_foistware_warning.html) to a story about how CNET is allowing malware to pervade their downloads now. it’s all in the form of “advertising”, but it’s duplicitous at best, and it shows a particular callous disregard of the trust of the people who use CNET and read their articles looking for truth (like me).
You know: they act like CBS runs them, or something. bunch of entertainment industry “execs” who couldn’t lead their way out of a poo-filled paper bag without the MAFIAA and a lawsuit.
I think it’s time to drop said bag on CNETs front stoop and set fire to it.