Next-Gen Gaming Blog applies practical ethical standards to reporting, reviews, opinion, sourcing, commercial relationships and corrections.
These standards are intended to protect editorial independence, reader trust and the accuracy of the publication.
Accuracy and Honesty
NGB should 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, uncertainty should be identified rather than concealed.
Honesty also requires accurate descriptions of what was tested, what a source actually said and what remains an editorial interpretation.
Editorial Independence
Editorial conclusions must not be determined by 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.
Independence does not require refusing every commercial contact. It requires keeping commercial activity from controlling independent editorial judgement.
Fairness and Context
Fairness does not require every article to treat all claims as equally credible. It requires relevant evidence to be represented accurately and in context.
Coverage should:
- distinguish allegations from established facts;
- avoid misleading omission of material context;
- avoid personal attacks unrelated to the subject;
- give affected parties a reasonable opportunity to respond when serious allegations are involved;
- represent responses accurately.
Fairness also means avoiding a false balance between a supported fact and an unsupported claim merely because both positions exist.
Conflicts of Interest
Writers and editors should disclose relevant financial, professional, commercial or personal interests.
A conflict may require:
- disclosure;
- additional review;
- reassignment;
- exclusion from a ranking decision;
- a decision not to publish.
A disclosure does not make every conflict acceptable.
The central question is whether the relationship could reasonably affect the work or how readers interpret it.
Gifts, Products and Access
Review codes, hardware loans, gifts, event invitations, hospitality and travel must not guarantee favourable treatment.
Material arrangements should be disclosed when they may affect reader interpretation.
NGB should avoid arrangements that create an unreasonable obligation to publish or limit honest criticism.
Access is a practical condition of some coverage, not payment for a particular conclusion.
Sources and Attribution
Named, attributable and verifiable sources are preferred.
Sources should be described accurately and should not be given exaggerated authority.
NGB does not normally rely on anonymous sources as evidence for published factual claims.
Attribution should allow readers to understand whether a statement comes from an official announcement, an independent report, a named expert or first-hand observation.
Confidential Information
NGB does not automatically promise confidentiality.
Any confidentiality terms should be discussed before sensitive information is shared.
Confidential tips may guide further reporting, but publication should rely on independently verifiable evidence wherever practical.
A source’s request for confidentiality does not remove the need to evaluate knowledge, motive and supporting evidence.
Privacy and Minimising Harm
Editorial relevance should be balanced against unnecessary harm.
NGB should avoid publishing unnecessary personal information, private contact details or sensitive information that does not contribute materially to the story.
Coverage involving harassment, safety, privacy, cybersecurity or reputational allegations requires particular care.
The fact that information can be found online does not automatically make its republication necessary or editorially justified.
Reviews and Rankings
Reviews and rankings should reflect genuine editorial assessment rather than payment, access or commercial pressure.
A reviewer must not claim to have tested a game or product when that experience did not occur.
Important limitations should be disclosed where they affect the conclusion.
A ranking should not imply a complete or scientific comparison when it is based on a narrower editorial selection.
Corrections
Verified factual errors should be corrected under the Corrections Policy.
NGB should not refuse a valid correction because the error is embarrassing or commercially inconvenient.
Correction decisions should be based on the evidence and the significance of the error.
Advertising and Sponsored Material
NGB may display advertising, but advertisements must not be allowed to imitate independent editorial coverage in a deceptive way.
NGB does not currently publish sponsored articles as a regular format.
If introduced, sponsored material must be clearly labelled.
Commercial material should remain distinguishable from editorial content before, during and after the campaign.
AI-Generated Images
AI-generated imagery must not be presented as official screenshots, authentic documentary photographs or evidence.
AI must not be used to fabricate editorial sources, quotations, people, credentials or events.
The use of a generated image does not reduce NGB’s responsibility for the context in which it appears.
Reader Feedback
Readers may question sourcing, fairness, disclosures or editorial conduct through:
Factual errors should be sent to: