[jedberg]

> What killed the Wirecutter for me was the standing desk referral code scandal, full stop

They responded and pointed out that Nextdesk was wrong, but if you've ever worked for any journal or know someone who has, they will all tell you that the reputable ones, like NYT, have a complete separation between income and reporting. Literally the only common link between them is the CEO.

[Wowfunhappy]

Here is that response from the Times. I find it pretty convincing. https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/our-response-to-nextdesk/

[KingMob]

I don't know the truth of the matter, since there's no elaboration or confirmation, but the article also says:

> A former staffer alleged that in 2019, an employee on the Times business side changed the copy of a post in the Money vertical without telling the editorial team—a major ethical breach in an industry where the separation of Church and state, so to speak, is sacrosanct.

[LorenPechtel]

But note that it also says said employee was sacked because of it.