They called Apple after they bought the device, took it apart and ran the story.

You guys need to get your facts straight, both about what happened and what constitutes theft in California. I know it's vogue to paint Apple as the no-fun gestapo these days, but they're the victims in this case. When you report a crime, the police get involved. When you are a party to a crime, you risk having the police show up at your door in a bad mood. None of this is a shock.

I like this quote from Jason Calacanis:

"You see a silver Mercedes parked in front of your house. There are keys in it. You get in the car and see that it has a bunch of new features that the standard Mercedes you drive lacks. Oh, and it belongs to someone named Dieter Zetsche. You take the car and drive it home, then call automotive magazines and offer to sell this prototype you found, and know the owner of, for 10x the street value of the car (say, $1M). What are you now? Yes, a criminal! Whether the item is worth $600 or $60,000 is not relevant."

The media thing is irrelevant. This isn't about protecting sources - this is about knowingly purchasing (aka fencing) stolen goods.