So am I the only one who finds it a bit ironic that ANN is doing a “real time” preview of the Spring Season. Granted, it is news. And even if I disagree with their reviews, they do seem to do it every years. But they spend so much time and effort trying to convince people that downloading fansubs is wrong that somehow I don’t think their reader base would be running out to download the fansubs of these shows.
I mean it might just be me, but aren’t they making a profit off of doing those reviews. And doesn’t it mean then that they’re making a profit off of promoting the illegal downloading of shows, or at the very least promoting shows that may or may not actually come out in the United States (or anywhere for that matter.)
Yeah. Way to go ANN. Throw ethics to the wind, so you can drag in a few extra dollars.
In Search of Number Nine — An anime blog 
Instead of jumping the shark, you should read some of their posts on that particular thread; ANN has no official position regarding fansubs. Most of the reactions you see from the posters (whether mods or not) there are of their own personal opinions.
@ veen – Their Executive Editor, Zac Bertschy, has stated his opinion about fansubs quite clearly. Whether or not they have an official position, they certainly do have an unofficial position. I have read the actual reviews, and I have no opinion on them. But as a for-profit site I do question the ethics of posting reviews for something that is only coming out on fansubs. Because it really isn’t “news”. It’s just a cheap way of getting people to visit their site.
@veen – To clarify my first statement, in REAL journalism, the Executive Editor is not allowed a public opinion. In fact, no editor is allowed a public opinion. Otherwise it’s a conflict of interest because their opinion could be construed as the newspaper’s opinion. In fact, the editorial opinion is called an editorial and IS the official opinion of the newspaper. So Zac Bertschy stating that it’s not the opinion of ANN either means that ANN is not a professional site, or that he’s a rank amatuer with no right to call himself a professional.
Okay, I’m putting away my freak flag now.
That would either make ANN huighly unprofessional, or they need to update their hiring guidelines.
At this point, I’d like to say both.
Zac is a self righteous piece of SH!T , I thoroughly can’t stand him…. I’ve been into anime longer than he has and yet he acts like the supreme authority on all things anime…
Who cares? ANN is a sack of shit anyway. It has currently 2141 votes rating Haruhi a masterpiece. What the fuck is with that?
@ Post & iniksbane: I never knew that about editors. That explains the editorial ‘we’. Are editors allowed to express opinions elsewhere? Because I know here in the UK some of the presenters from BBC Radio 4’s news programs are allowed to express opinions elsewhere (interestingly enough, usually in the comment sections of major newspapers), although they never overtly express an opinion on air.
@ Koji Oe: Surely that would – and does – happen on any anime rating website?
@drmchsr0 – I would too. It just pisses me off so much.
@vodoomage – Yeah, I’m not happy about the fact that he’s going around the forums insulting people who disagree with him either. Especially since he uses the word professional.
@Koji Oe – Honestly, I do. Not because I really care if they become a better site, but they have the ability to be a good news site, but they choose not to be.
@The Animanachronism – It’s questionable. I mean I’ve seen editors express their opinions outside of the newspapers, but generally it’s as an average citizen without the benefit of their title. Or if it’s something that they don’t cover editorially, like say the news editor writing in about a sports issue.
But they aren’t allowed to express their opinions as actual content.
Zac IS a high-ended sack of crap.
I’ve been called “elitist” for stating my views about how bad anime had gotten. (I don’t make enough money to fit into that title. I have a job and I was born in 1974.)
Also, I’ve yet to have enough darkness in my heart to host a site like ANN. AND still set up advertising to make some “underhanded money.”