In the wave of AI controversies and lawsuits, CNET has been publicly admonished since it first started posting thinly-veiled AI-generated content on its site in late 2022— a scandal that has culminated in the site being demoted from Trusted to Untrusted Sources on Wikipedia.
Considering that CNET has been in the business since 1994 and maintained a top-tier reputation on Wikipedia up until late 2020, this change came after lots of debate between Wikipedia’s editors and has drawn the attention of many in the media, including some CNET staff members.
Wikipedia’s pay distribution is actually quite even. The C suite make much, much less than other companies. While I havent been able to confirm this, one article said they hold larger than usual sums of money, likely to pay salaries off interest, and look to donations for replenishment.