Actually they are fairly rigid about not writing about a launch that has already been covered, especially by Mashable.

Make sense when you think of it, its their competitor.

No, it doesn't really make sense. What it the AP wouldn't write about something that Reuters already did? News is news, but demanding first or nothing is a very poor technique.

The AP is a wire service. They deal in commodity news. But it is very common for newspapers and magazines to agree to cover stories in return for an exclusive.

Obviously, but this is a mention, not a feature article in an entertainment magazine. Engadget will cover something after Gizmodo and vice versa. It's ridiculous that TechCrunch won't.

I stopped reading TC a while ago because the signal to noise ratio started diving, but I wouldn't read it now even if it had great content. I don't care who has what first, I'll read who's comprehensive and honest.

Mike wants to be the new CNET and that's not going to happen by being a bitch about being first.

It seems that if you want to get covered by TechCrunch, you have to give them an exclusive?