Running a publication of any sort is no easy task, especially when you have to deal with and talk to the companies you write about on a daily basis. This is the dilemma that faced award-winning Editor-in-Chief Harry McCraken of PC World. According to reports, McCraken left PC World just recently over a dispute with its publisher about advertisers. People close to McCracken say that the editor left because he was pressured by his publishers to avoid stories that were critical about companies that advertised in the magazine.

McCracken spent a total of 28 years at publishing firm International Data Group (IDG) -- 12 of those years was at the helm of one of its most famed magazines, PC World. "I spent 12 years at PC World; it's been incredibly good to me," said McCracken.

After the news broke, senior vice president of IDG, Colin Crawford, wrote an e-mail to CNET News indicating that there was no link between McCracken's resignation and anything about advertising. Despite this, three sources confirmed that McCracken did leave from above pressure and in fact quit right after Crawford cut a story titled "Ten Things We Hate About Apple." According to reports, Crawford wanted to avoid any story about that could jeopardize advertising money from the computer maker.

Fellow coworkers of McCracken expressed their sorrows about McCracken's departure but agreed that it was for the best. "It saddens us all that Harry, a PC World institution, decided to leave. But dammit, we're proud of him for doing it," said some of his coworkers.

PC World magazine is trusted by millions of readers and has a monthly circulation of 4.3 million according to IDG. The magazine's website alone attracts roughly 6.8 million monthly visitors. McCracken's leave with PC World proves that in publishing, there is a fine line to dance on when working with sources, whether they are for insider information or product reviews.