Next-Gen Gaming Blog applies practical ethical standards to reporting, reviews, opinion, sourcing, commercial relationships and corrections.
These standards describe how NGB approaches sourcing, conflicts of interest, corrections, commercial separation and responsible publication.
Accuracy and Honesty
NGB does not knowingly publish information that is false or materially misleading.
Writers and editors must not fabricate:
- facts;
- sources;
- quotations;
- documents;
- credentials;
- interviews;
- testing;
- review access;
- performance results;
- first-hand experience.
When evidence is incomplete, material uncertainty is identified rather than presented as established fact.
Accuracy also requires clear descriptions of what was tested, what a source actually said and which conclusions reflect editorial interpretation.
Editorial Independence
Editorial conclusions are determined by the available evidence, relevance to readers and editorial judgement rather than advertising, commercial pressure, access or personal relationships.
Advertisers, partners, publishers, developers and hardware manufacturers cannot purchase:
- a positive review;
- a favourable verdict;
- an editorial recommendation;
- a higher ranking position;
- the removal of legitimate criticism;
- control over corrections.
Paid visibility does not determine editorial ranking position.
Commercial contact is permitted, but advertisers, partners and access providers do not receive control over editorial conclusions, rankings or corrections.
Fairness and Context
Fairness does not require every claim to be treated as equally credible. It requires relevant evidence to be represented accurately and in context.
Coverage aims to:
- distinguish allegations from established facts;
- include material context needed to understand a claim;
- avoid personal attacks unrelated to the subject;
- give affected parties a reasonable opportunity to respond when serious allegations are involved;
- represent responses accurately.
NGB does not create false balance between well-supported information and an unsupported claim simply because competing positions exist.
Conflicts of Interest
Writers and editors disclose relevant financial, professional, commercial or personal interests when those relationships could materially affect the work or how readers interpret it.
A conflict may require:
- disclosure;
- additional editorial review;
- reassignment;
- exclusion from a ranking decision;
- a decision not to publish.
Disclosure does not make every conflict acceptable.
Editorial leadership considers whether the relationship could reasonably affect the contributor’s independence or the credibility of the resulting coverage.
Gifts, Products and Access
Review codes, hardware loans, gifts, event invitations, hospitality and travel do not guarantee favourable treatment.
Material arrangements are disclosed when they may materially affect how readers interpret the coverage.
NGB avoids arrangements that create an unreasonable obligation to publish or restrict legitimate criticism.
Access enables some forms of reporting, previews and reviews, but it does not provide the access provider with control over the resulting editorial conclusion.
Sources and Attribution
NGB prefers named, attributable and verifiable sources wherever practical.
Sources are described according to their actual relationship to the information and are not given authority beyond what the evidence supports.
NGB does not normally rely on anonymous sources as evidence for published factual claims.
Attribution is intended to make clear whether information comes from an official announcement, independent reporting, a named expert, documentary evidence or first-hand observation.
Confidential Information
NGB does not automatically promise confidentiality.
Any confidentiality terms are discussed before sensitive information is shared whenever possible.
Confidential tips may guide further reporting, but publication relies on independently verifiable evidence wherever practical.
A request for confidentiality does not remove the need to evaluate the source’s knowledge, motive and supporting evidence.
More information is available in the Unnamed Sources Policy.
Privacy and Minimising Harm
NGB balances editorial relevance against unnecessary harm when deciding which personal details are necessary to a story.
NGB avoids publishing private contact details, sensitive personal information or other identifying material that does not contribute materially to the coverage.
Coverage involving harassment, safety, privacy, cybersecurity or reputational allegations receives additional care appropriate to the potential impact of publication.
The fact that information is publicly accessible online does not automatically make republication necessary or editorially justified.
Reviews and Rankings
Reviews and rankings reflect editorial assessment rather than payment, access or commercial pressure.
A reviewer may claim first-hand testing only when the relevant game, build, platform or product was actually accessed and tested.
Material testing or access limitations are disclosed when they affect the conclusion.
Rankings identify their relevant scope and should not imply a complete or scientific comparison when they are based on a narrower editorial selection.
Paid visibility does not determine editorial ranking position.
Corrections
Factual errors identified after publication are handled under the Corrections Policy.
A valid correction is not rejected because acknowledging the error may be embarrassing or commercially inconvenient.
Correction decisions are based on the evidence, the significance of the error and the effect of the inaccurate information on the article.
Advertising and Sponsored Material
NGB may display advertising, including programmatic advertising. Advertisements are kept distinguishable from ordinary editorial coverage.
NGB does not currently publish sponsored articles or partner content as a regular commercial format.
If sponsored material is introduced, it will be clearly labelled and governed by the Sponsored Content Policy.
Commercial arrangements do not provide approval rights over unrelated editorial coverage, reviews, rankings or corrections.
AI and Visual Materials
NGB may use AI only to create, prepare or edit selected images, illustrations and other visual materials.
AI is not used for article writing, drafting, rewriting, summarisation, research, fact-checking, source selection, source verification, news monitoring, metadata, descriptions, tagging, categorisation, translation, author biographies or other editorial text.
AI-generated or AI-assisted imagery must not be presented as an official gameplay screenshot, developer-supplied artwork, authentic documentary photograph or evidence that an event occurred.
AI is not used to fabricate sources, quotations, people, events, credentials, documents, testing or first-hand experience.
Editors remain responsible for the selection, context and presentation of visual materials used by NGB.
More information is available in the AI Use Policy.
Reader Feedback
Questions about sourcing, fairness, disclosures or editorial conduct may be sent to:
editorial@nextgengamingblog.com
Factual errors may be reported to: