> Tim told me that he doesn’t want whatever makes TechCrunch special to go away. He also said it was important that we feel free to criticize AOL when we think they deserve it. And the agreement we signed with AOL fully reflects this.
I can't figure out how this agreement could actually be enforced. If AOL shuts down a story on TC, what's going to happen? It's not like TC/AOL is going to sue corporate/AOL for breach of contract. There are almost certainly performance and tenure based incentives in the buyout to push Arrington and other higher-ups at TC to be a good soldiers. (They might choose not to be good soldiers, but their only option at that point is to quit.) The editorial freedom of TC is entirely dependent on the honor of upper management at AOL.
I can't figure out how this agreement could actually be enforced. If AOL shuts down a story on TC, what's going to happen? It's not like TC/AOL is going to sue corporate/AOL for breach of contract. There are almost certainly performance and tenure based incentives in the buyout to push Arrington and other higher-ups at TC to be a good soldiers. (They might choose not to be good soldiers, but their only option at that point is to quit.) The editorial freedom of TC is entirely dependent on the honor of upper management at AOL.