Not only do they have an app, but i remember their webpage being unreachable on my iPad a couple years ago because they had a full-page interstitial ad for their app, and dismissing it sent you into a redirect loop.

TechCrunch, in fairness, doesn't beg the user to download the app.

Also: Just because the publishing media has one of those apps, it doesn't mean that one of their writers can't express his dislike for those apps. If anything it proves that he has a certain independence from the business facing side and that's always good.