1938media Names 100 Companies In TechCrunch ‘Payola’
Loren Feldman, the publisher of 1938Media, a New York city based web site, has published the names of the companies that were the subject of 100 posts written by former TechCrunch writer Daniel Brusilovsky. [Unpaid Techcrunch Reporter Sacked For Bribe Attempt]
Michael Arrington, the publisher of Techcrunch, said that Mr Brusilovsky was sacked because he requested a Macbook Air in exchange for writing a post about a company. [An Apology To Our Readers]
Mr Brusilovsky said that he had not received any computers.
Mr Feldman said he has direct knowledge that three companies on the list, did deals in exchange for coverage.
Until this gets fully cleared up and aired out, every one of these companies, many irrelevant but others you might not suspect, has a shadow over them. And TechCrunch’s behavior in this remains inexcusable. Editors at much larger publications have stepped down over far less.
Why do I even have to bother with this nonsense? Because someone should at least for a little while and it seems most of you are too busy checking into Foursquare to be worried about little things like integrity, after all you are the Mayor of your local Friday’s.
He writes that the companies that did make deals should make a public admission before they are outed. "…you will get outed. I personally know of 3 that did deals, and I’m very low on the web food chain so others must know as well I’d bet."
He advises that the other companies on the list to come forward and say that they did not make any deals.
The list of the 100 companies is here.
He has already received several responses from companies on the list saying they were not involved in any deals: App of the Day, Atomplan, Avecora, PBworks, and Ramamia.
The companies that did make deals might be revealed by choosing to remain silent.
[Editor’s Note: Tom cross-posted this on Silicon Valley Watcher. –mrh.]
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