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Samsung's mistake -- and CNET's reaction -- inspired me to work here - CNET
Jul 01, 2020 2 mins, 16 secs

When CNET called out Samsung for its sexist, tone-deaf Galaxy S4 press conference, I knew I wanted to be more than just a fan.

What caught my attention was that CNET didn't waste any time explaining what the problem was.

It was two years before I started here, and I was watching the event as part of CNET's livestream coverage.

Though I'd been watching CNET's livestreams and reading the site for years, Samsung's event lives with me seven years later because I remember how I felt watching it.

They didn't just run through the phone's specs -- they told me as a human why I should buy (or not buy) the GS4, and they didn't hold back in criticizing the company presenting it.

Both debates continue as companies like Apple have continued to build products that lock in consumers.

"There was a time where [CNET podcast] Buzz Out Loud was cited in amicus briefs by the Electronic Frontier Foundation arguing for strong net neutrality regulations," Wood said.

Despite the continued dominance of companies like Apple, Wood said she's been glad tech has become more than just a niche.

After leaving CNET in October 2013, Wood spent some time at The New York Times before joining American Public Media's Marketplace in 2015, where she produces shows such as Marketplace Tech and Make Me Smart.

Shows like Call for Help and X-Play explained how technology works and reviewed video games in an engaging, helpful way that didn't talk down to viewers.

Before long, I felt like I personally knew several of my now-colleagues years before actually meeting them.

I freaked the EFF out during my first visit to the London office in 2016 when he and Andrew Hoyle invited me to be on their CNET UK podcast.

Deciding where I wanted to work was easy, but getting the experience to get there would take more time.

Later when I moved to the New York Daily News, I'd volunteer to help cover 2015's Apple Watch event and net neutrality.

At the same time I often flipped through the CBS Interactive job boards to see what was available at CNET and its sister sites like GameSpot.

I was already working weekends at the Daily News and it was a lifestyle I preferred at the time since it let me explore New York on the weekdays without dealing with crowds.

A monthlong series of phone interviews followed, including one in-person interview at CNET's New York PC lab.

On July 31, 2015, I was officially offered the job, and a month later I walked into CNET's New York office as an employee.

The wildest feeling is that while CNET is now the longest job I've ever held, I still feel like I only just got here.

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