The press that you see is the result of users being disappointed at the current-state-of-affairs. They don't see it as being helpful for the long term innovation, or short term utility. Some of these users happen to be journalists. Other journalists are reporting it because how this is ruled will be precedence for future cases. I would say that's news.
If you've ever met Eric (Padmapper is a one-man shop), you'll quickly get the sense that he isn't a slick-talkin' kind of guy. I can tell you that it is journalists that approached Eric, not the other way around.
It's not like the press (ie paper newspapers like the NYT) is a neutral party in this - craigslist has pretty much destroyed one of their largest traditional sources of revenue (classifieds).
Whether press is a neutral party or not is a separate issue of the assumption that it's PR work on Padmapper's part. The press may be having a field day, but it's not Eric's doing.
If you've ever met Eric (Padmapper is a one-man shop), you'll quickly get the sense that he isn't a slick-talkin' kind of guy. I can tell you that it is journalists that approached Eric, not the other way around.