[News] Yet another example of no journalistic integrity in the gaming review business

Quote:

Video Game Media Watch - The Video Game Journalism Review » IGN Editor Married to Nintendo PR Executive

VGMWatch.com has been able to confirm that IGN Nintendo editor Matt Casamassina is married to Golin Harris Vice President Edie Kissko. Golin Harris serves as Nintendo’s PR firm. Sources connected with both Golin Harris and IGN.com were able to validate this information. While VGMWatch has no interest in personal affairs, undisclosed conflicts of interest plaguing the game industry’s integrity cannot be ignored. To that end, there are several journalistic red flags surrounding the facts of this case.

Unfortunately, we have yet to discover any public acknowledgment from either Nintendo, Golin Harris, or IGN Entertainment informing customers of this conflict of interest. Furthermore, IGN.com has continued to allow the Nintendo channel editor to manage Nintendo product coverage. Likewise, the Golin Harris VP in question is responsible for promoting Nintendo products. Clearly, millions of IGN readers’ trust has been violated by this irresponsible abandonment of principle.

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Update: For clarity, I want to reiterate the central point of the article. This story is about full disclosure on the part of IGN and Nintendo/Golin Harris. It is utterly disrespectful to their readership to not disclose this situation. The personal integrity of the two individuals is irrelevant. It is also unnecessary to assume that there have been any competitive advantages gained with this situation. Rather, IGN and Golin Harris need to disclose this type of information directly to their readers to avoid any appearance of conflicting interests. For example, if we were to find out tomorrow that Katie Couric and George W. Bush were lovers and neither CBS or the White House reported it, we would all be outraged. Just because Couric may have done X amount of negative pieces on Bush’s administration, it doesn’t give the problem of conflicting interests a free pass. I hope you can see the connection here.

Update 2: Golin Harris has issued this statement in regard to the story:
“All GolinHarris employees who work on the Nintendo account sign and adhere to a strict confidentiality agreement.”

Surprise, surprise.

Jam it back in, in the dark.