[jatrax]

Since this happened some time ago I suppose its old news but it was a real shock to me. To find out that a website I consider "journalistic" in nature is owned by a major retailer gives me chills down my spine. There isn't any hint of that on the DPReview site that I could find but they are listed as one of Amazon's divisions on the Amazon site.


I don't really use the site that much anymore, have not visited in years to be honest but I always considered them independent if not exactly unbiased. But finding that they are owned by Amazon starts to explain their anti-Pentax bias. If content there is driven by Amazon then of course they are going to focus on what Amazon wants to sell.

Is this common knowledge and I just missed it?

[Kunzite]

Yes, Amazon bought them in 2007 - but I don't think that's the cause of the anti-Pentax bias.

[KiloHotelphoto]

Yes it’s common knowledge. Didn’t you notice all the links to buy are Amazon.

I don’t think they have a anti Pentax bias because of Amazon. Amazon doesn’t care if you buy Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji, Olympus, Panasonic or Pentax, they just want you to buy from them. Amazon offers all the Pentax products you could buy from B&H or Adorama.

[jatrax]

Didn’t you notice all the links to buy are Amazon.

All the links in most websites go to Amazon because they make it easy to sign up for affilate income.

Amazon doesn’t care if you buy

Not so sure about that. I would think a review of a Canon item on DPReview would result in much larger sales numbers on Amazon than a similar Pentax review.

If Amazon considers DPReview nothing more than click generating advertising they are going to focus content on items that generate more sales.

---------- Post added 11-25-20 at 08:55 AM ----------

I guess I should clarify that there is a difference between content bias and editorial bias. Content bias concerns whether an item makes the news or on what page. A paper can run a story on page 40 and truthfully say they covered that but the reality is they buried it. Editorial bias concerns the content and conclusions of an article.

So content bias determines what gets reviewed and editorial bias determines what that review concludes.

[KiloHotelphoto]

Sure Canon reviews will produce more sales but Canon is also more popular of a brand and more people are looking for info on them. But Amazon just wants you to buy from them whatever brand it is.

Is DPReview or Amazon anti Phase One? I don’t see many reviews for them. DPR reviews Pentax when they release something, problem is they only release something new once a year.

[stevebrot]

DPReview owned by Amazon?

Yes, in some ways DPReview serves as an information/review portal to Amazon. I wish the relationship were more obvious, but it isn't. It sort of makes one wonder what other popular enthusiast-oriented sites front for Amazon.


Steve

[pschlute]

There isn't any hint of that on the DPReview site that I could find

At the bottom of every page on DPR there are a number of links. The first is called "about us"....it contains amongst other things, this statement "DPReview.com is a wholly-owned, editorially independent subsidiary of amazon.com "

[JensE]

Yes, Amazon bought them in 2007 - but I don't think that's the cause of the anti-Pentax bias.

Certainly not, and that bias doesn't date back that far. At least I bought into Pentax with a K-5 largely based on their Dec 2010 review and tests: "The Pentax K-5's compact, solid body, generally well thought-out ergonomics, comprehensive feature set, and excellent image quality, in both still and movie modes make it one of the best APS-C DSLRs currently on the market."

[officiousbystander]

It's not so much editorial bias which would be a concern but the aggregation of your personal data in one entity. Whether you post a comment to DPReview or Goodreads or buy a second hand book from AbeBooks or a new one from Book Depository you're giving up a little bit more of yourself to Amazon. And of course cookies are tracking your every move even if you just visit the sites. And no, I'm not wearing a tinfoil hat. That's only for when I go outside.

[RobA_Oz]

Amazon, like Google/Alphabet has a business model that requires all of its arms to act as conduits to its sales section. It’s got so big I’m not sure it knows what it’s core business is, aside from making money. I haven’t bought anything from them directly since the early days when they just sold books, and even then I discovered that Book Depository was cheaper, because they didn’t charge postage. I said “directly”, because shortly after, Amazon bought Book Depository!

I only go to DPreview when I feel like being irked.

[clackers]

The place is a sales catalogue. They will not offend their major business partners, their whole purpose is to be a warehouse conduit for Canon, Nikon and Sony, so impartial news is absolutely not to be expected.

[BROO]

If a link results in a sale then there is a kickback to the link provider. This creates a positive feedback loop where the most popular products are given favourable reviews. It also creates a negative bias against the smaller players. I consider this anti competitive behavior. Maybe one day it will be tested in a courtroom?
This is why Pentax appear to get unfavourable reviews.

[officiousbystander]

And look how vulnerable this tech behemoth makes us:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/amazon-web-services-outage-s...bc2_story.html

Oh and they also own WAPO.

[automorphism]

It's true, but it would be way worse if they were owned by Nikon or Sony. At least they can bash all brands equally. hahahaha.

Actually, I think their content is pretty good. They have a vested interest in telling us about the latest gear so we buy it.

[DWS1]

Yes, Amazon owns DPR. but, I don't think they have any editorial control. Amazon doesn't care what you buy as long as you by from them. All the links for pricing and sales point to an Amazon page.