When the news of Xiaxue's latest blockbuster exposé broke yesterday, several online websites went to town with it, such as yours truly.
However, there was another website co-owned by Gushcloud called Must Share News that is in need of clicks to attract advertisers, also covered the saga, albeit not as extensively and with a defensive spin.
Reading their article, you'd find that "objective" is surely not the first word that comes to mind to describe their article. "Downplay" is a much better word.
Instead of focusing on the career-ending reputation-denting allegations, Must Share News questioned Xiaxue's motive of exposing Gushcloud:
Yup. Yesterday (March. 14, 2015) was also Xiaxue's parent company Nuffnang's 8th birthday.
But is she doing it for the lulz or is she trying to put Gushcloud firmly in its place on the Nuffnang's birthday bash?
We don't know. Not yet at least. But this isn't the important part.
What we do know is Must Share News belongs to Gushcloud. *Jeng jeng jeng*
Here's the proof: Back in September 2014, Gushcloud CEO Vincent Ha contacted The New Paper columnist S M Ong for some sort of collaboration.
This effectively means they will most probably be the last to dish the dirt on Gushcloud and what they have to say has to be viewed with utmost scepticism.
Conspicuously absent on the Must Share News article and its About Us page is any mention of its relationship with Gushcloud.
The article also ended with a nah-why-is-this-even-news paragraph, with a lot of dismissal hand-waving.
Well, it matters because a company's ethics are in question and it affects the entire online advertising industry. By not gunning for full disclosure in times of crisis and yet put up a front to conceal the real relationships in the backroom negotiations is to do readers the greatest disservice.
Oh and talking about ethics, shouldn't Must Share News disclose its relationship with Gushcloud before writing anything about the exposé?
Here's a parting shot by Xiaxue.
Editor's note: Mothership.sg is not owned by Gushcloud or Nuffnang.
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