There are several stories, including this one from Forbes, on the decision by parent company CBS to prevent its CNET holding from awarding CBS' legal antagonist, the Dish Network', recognition at the annual CES gathering this week for its PVR Sling product. The direction also extends to reviews of Dish products and has raised questions about the degree to which editorial influence can be asserted by corporate owners without harming the credibility of a technology news operation.
The issue of the editorial and marketing relationship is explored in this Los Angeles Times piece on the degree to which NBC is using its news division as a way to promote its non-news programming. "The desire of an entertainment giant to use all its assets to promote its products is perfectly acceptable," writes Joe Flint. "But there is a fine line between smart cross-promotion and damaging valuable brands."
Andrew Beaujon writes for the Poynter Institute's MediaWire on the resignation by the head of the Toronto board of education for plagiarizing content and submitting it to the Toronto Star as an op-ed piece. Other pieces he has written also resemble pieces from several other media organizations. Several outlets reporting on the matter have noted a pattern dating back to the official's academic record.