That big blog you worked for was Valleywag...and you're complaining that TC lacks integrity.
Valleywag has no class what so ever. It's sleazy and happily so.
However they do have integrity. Paul Boutin's a real journalist. They, and I'd argue most of the Gawker writers, bring an outsiders view of the world to their coverage that's sorely lacking in a lot of the news. Deadspin's the same story. It's sleazy, low-grade and base. However they are honest and very serious about their facts.
What you choose to cover makes you "classy" or not. That's a genre.
How you cover it shows whether or not you've got integrity.
VW protected and respected the wishes of the sources, fact-checked as much as we could with multiple sources -- it was especially hilarious watching people blame VW on this to try to get away with their bullshit, and respect amongst the other writers in the industry.
I would suggest you try working for them for awhile but, meh, it doesn't really matter.
About Valley Wag respecting the wishes of the sources and fact-checking multiple sources. Not so much in my case.
I wrote a comment here on HN about the Yahoo/Microsoft merger based on a conversation I had with a friend that worked at Yahoo. I made the mistake of posting some identifiable information about my friend.
Valley Wag picked up my 7 line comment, and turned it in to two separate stories on the Yahoo/Microsoft merger. They sourced one article to my comment, and included identifiable information about my friend. The second article did some "analysis" and speculation based on the information obtained in the first article.
I was worried that my fried would get laid off, so I wrote Valley Wag and politely asked them to remove identifiable information about my friend.
I was stunned by the nastiness in response from Valley Wag. I was told that I maybe I should think before I post on HN, and they had the freedom of speech to post whatever they wanted, etc... It was my mistake that I posted the information, and if my friend lost his job because of what I said, it was my fault.
PG was nice enough to edit the identifying information out of my comment. My friend did indeed get a pink slip, although I don't think it had anything to do with the Valley Wag stuff. And Valley Wag stories got banned here a few months later.
@alaskamiller: My interactions weren't with you. So, no hard feelings. Next one is on me at Hackers and Founders. :)