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Reality...

>To be able to write a credible review you have to be completely
>impartial. Accepting any gift, no matter how small, jeopardizes that
>impartiality and thus has the ability to taint the review process.

It's good point, but when does the perceived value of the gift
become relevant? Reviewers and editors are literally besieged with
tchochkes of various kinds -- watches, pens, CD wallets, tote bags,
rolling bags, letter openers, notebooks, USB flash drives, key rings,
pen knives, flowers, bottles of wine and liquor -- and it is
impractical, even impolite to go through a press release package that
you receive in the mail and pick out all this stuff to be returned.

I deal with this schwag by giving it away. Does that still make me
unethical? And I admit to being just as bad -- a manufacturer who
visits my office often gets Stereophile CDs pressed upon him. Or even
a Stereophile shirt or a Stereophile CD opener. And how about those
Stereophile wine glasses? (http://forum.stereophile.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/756)

And yes, I have accepted dinner invitations from manufacturers whose
products I review. But I have also bought those same manufacturers
dinner. Doesn't that even up the ethical books? For example, last
month a manufacturer offered me a ticket to the Met which would
otherwise gone to waste. I agreed provided I bought us dinner at the
Met's restaurant before the performance. The face value of the ticket
was $220; dinner came to almost $300 with wine and tip. I felt that
ethically, the books were balanced. Perhaps you disagree, feeling that
I should never fraternalize with manufacturers? Yet my conversations
with industry figures are _never_ social.

I address this question in my March "As We See It," BTW, by defining
a gift that crosses the line as one being worth more than $100. If
you are not a Stereophile reader, both that essay and Art Dudley's
will be available in our free online archives at www.stsreophile.com
on Monday March 12.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile


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