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

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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.

Pretty old news but whatever. It's not like Matt doesn't have a good relationship with Nintendo and it's not like he doesn't dish out low scores that deserve it.

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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

I would be outraged if they DID report it. There are just some things you do NOT need to know, such as someone's personal love life. TOO MUCH INFORMATION. Nightmarish mental image too.

As far as conflict of interest goes, the solution is very simple: Matt will simply review Non-Nintendo products!

He's kind of the Nintendo editor at IGN there, chief.

Originally Posted by AcerBandit

He's kind of the Nintendo editor at IGN there, chief.

Heh, looks like I fail at reading thoroughly enough ='D

Music industry is changing, and now that videogame industry is as strong as any other media there will be changes sooner or later.

I expect a lot of homebrew and digital distribution, and of course sites like IGN will have to adapt themselves to these changes.

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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.

This reminds me of the football coach that compared his team losing a game to Pearl Harbor and 9/11.

Get a fucking grip on your priorities.

I am more surprised that people actually take video game journalism seriously enough to actually give a damn about this. Plus, I'm sure that if IGN had made a statement about this, you know, before people had to Sherlock Holmes the information, no one would have believed it. "A guy nerdy enough to be the editor of IGN's Nintendo section could never find a chick who would go out with him for free, much less marry him."

This is seriously old news and there's really nothing alarming about it. Golin Harris serves as a PR firm for a myriad of different companies, not just Nintendo.