I was formerly editor in chief of two national computer magazines for Ziff-Davis. I won't go into a rant here, but ...

Editors do get pressure from their publishers to kiss advertiser ass in print. A good editor fights the publisher sometimes at risk of his job.

But it's a stupid advertiser who pulls their ads because of a negative but honest (important concept: honest) review because:

A.) If the magazine has a large and viable readership, no ads means no visibility among their target customer base, and

B.) If the editors are disreputable enough to let YOU buy them with ads, they're also going to write good things about the crappy products your competition manufactures.

Even so, stupidity rules; hence, the current state of consumer electronics magazines.