I think it's a side effect that the announcements happen via TechCrunch. I think the basic flow is this: - Media coverage of YC companies tend to be posted to

I think it's a side effect that the announcements happen via TechCrunch. I think the basic flow is this: - Media coverage of YC companies tend to be posted to news.yc - If TechCrunch will cover your launch, that's good for a company's visibility - Thus, TechCrunch stories about YC companies launching end up on news.yc