Kotaku
IGN Nintendo: Scandal or Old News?
VGMWatch tonight decided to spill the not-so-breaking news that Matt Casamassina, long-time editor-in-chief of the IGN Nintendo Team, is married to Edie Kissko. This is, in these times of games journalism head-scratching, a bit interesting. Kissko is the vice president of Golin Harris, which also happens to be Nintendo's PR firm.
Neither Casamassina nor Golin Harris have commented on the article, but Casamassina's long-time marriage to Kissko isn't exactly a secret. While his readers might not be aware of it, most in the journalism community and certainly the readers at Neo-Gaf are.
I don't doubt Casamassina's desire to keep his personal and work lives separate, but the problem with conflict of interest is that it's not always about the reality of the situation, but also about appearances.
Both IGN and Golin Harris were contacted for comment, neither have yet responded. We will update this post when and if they do.
IGN Editor Married to Nintendo PR Executive
Update: Golin Harris has responded:
"All GolinHarris employees who work on the Nintendo account sign and adhere to a strict confidentiality agreement."
Update 2: Matt has responded:
"While I would prefer to keep my wife and kids out of the public spotlight, the fact that Edie and I have been happily married for several years is no secret. Nintendo and IGN / FOX have been aware of our relationship since we first started dating. We're professionals. Both of us have signed strict confidentiality agreements with our respective employers and, incidentally, we leave what happens on the job at our home's front door.
The original article makes the suggestion that my marriage to Edie violates the trust of IGN's dedicated readership, but I think my body of work speaks for itself. Over the years, I have remained one of Nintendo's biggest fans and harshest critics and have also developed hundreds of reliable of sources within the industry, none of them Edie."
