Ethics 101: Answer
I would turn down the trip.
It’s worth noting that there’s plenty of good arguments in favour of going. A lot of them - and some I hadn’t actually thought about - are in the thread. I don’t think going on the trip actually makes you corrupt in any way - and if you went, there’s things that would directly benefit you and your readers (Access to devs, hunting advertising, relationship building, etc). That it’s not influencing your coverage at all side-steps the issue of you actually being corrupt.
The problem is one purely of appearances.
As a gentleman on Rllmuk put it, there’s two parts of being impartial. Firstly, being impartial. On this point, you’re entirely fine here. The second is appearing impartial. If it came to light down the line, to the outside world it appears that you swapped the trip for a holiday for you and your missus. Facts are irrelevant. With the Internet and similar, it’s far more likely to come to public light than in ancient times too. This will cause an indelible stain on yours and the mag’s reputation, and in the end, all you ever have to deal with is trust.
At the least, it’ll go around the industry. For example, the developers of the game, who will almost certainly be aware of the deal - because it’s in the PR’s interest to let them know that it was *them* rather than the quality of the game which secured the cover, as the former helps cement the PR’s value to them - will believe you are at best maleable and at worst corrupt.
So, no, while I can see the advantages the possible damage my magazine’s and my own reputation makes it not worth it.
(Notes: It’s possible if there was a really pressing reason why I should be at the party - ads deals, meetings with devs, whatever - I would go by myself or send my Deputy. No missus. What I wouldn’t do, in any situation I can think of, is mention the offered deal in any editorial part of the magazine. That sort of point scoring with other magazines is just terribly undignified and it’s guaranteed that some fuck up (overscoring a hyped game due to reviewer midjudgement, for example) will allow your rivals to do exactly the same back at you. Petty and ugly. As Kenickie once said, Dignity Dignity Dignity)
9 Comments so far
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Is it common for editors on your side of the pond to be involved in ad deals? Because you mention this being part of the reason to go twice.
In the U.S., that’s a church/state issue… though with our current government, I think that means it’s the same thing.
Regardless, as an editor, I have nothing to do with any ad deals. I don’t talk to product managers about advertising, only to PR and producer types about editorial coverage.
Besides, if I did get involved it would only be to get more dollars for our commission-based ad salesmen. I would, in effect, be doing their job without any compensation. Which would suck.
By steve on 11.30.05 5:03 pm
Not in terms of brokering the deals, but there’s some involvement. Especially in terms of the non-traditional ads stuff.
Like most things, it depends on the Editor.
KG
By Kieron Gillen on 11.30.05 5:13 pm
Ah, Gillen. The question thusly becomes: if you did decide to go, for whatever reason, or sent the deputy instead… would you tell the missus you just blew her chance to go on a lovely little trip?
By Craig on 11.30.05 8:38 pm
Acknowledging that you got a junket trip out of the game in no way fucks anyone (assuming you’re not attempting to do a snidey, get one over on them thing).
Increasingly (at the end of interviews in broadsheet style papers, say) you might see a declaration that, say, the trip to Japan to interview Moby was funded by the record company. That’s not point-scoring, just open and honest reporting.
Though, whether we really need honest and open reporting in whatever passes for ZZap! these days is a moot point.
By Greg Smyth on 11.30.05 9:13 pm
Craig: I’m stupid but not quite that stupid.
KG
By Kieron Gillen on 11.30.05 9:23 pm
“What I wouldn’t do, in any situation I can think of, is mention the offered deal in any editorial part of the magazine.”
Ah, but what of the risk of someone doing it to you?
And should you extend the courtesy of covering up their bribe to the PR company? What duty do you owe them?
By Andy Krouwel on 11.30.05 10:19 pm
I’ve been imagining the game in question as Half-Life 2, and it’s hard to see a story about that getting a cover being of interest to anyone. Part of the setup is that the game is an overwhelmingly obvious choice for a cover anyway. I find it hard to imagine anyone believing bribes had to change hands for it to get one.
By Tom on 12.01.05 12:50 am
Put another way, either I don’t think people are as stupid as you think they are, or you’re not thinking of as big a game as I am.
I’m not saying Kotaku wouldn’t run a headline (”Humanity Fundamentally Evil?”), but that doesn’t really mean anything anymore.
By Tom on 12.01.05 12:52 am
Andy, it’s more a question of not wanting to lower yourself to that kind of level. In the hope that your competitors won’t do it to you, maybe, but in the end it’s all about self respect IMO.
By Mats Nylund on 12.01.05 3:57 pm
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