Conflicts of Interest in Action - the GameSpot Journalist Integrity controversy - submitted by David

The article below summarizes and dissects in great (and grave) detail a recent contentious controversy about journalistic integrity at Gamespot, which led to the firing of Gamespot's editor. This was a big event in the world of video game journalism.
http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8587828&publicUserId=4561231
As David puts it, the article: 'details how Gamespot was selling editorial space to advertisers, how sections of the site were sliced up and features sold, and how Gamespot’s GameTrax service which supplies consumer behavior data is readily tainted by purchased advertising. The article goes on to recap the events that led to the firing of Gamespot Editor Jeff Gertsmann (and the ensuing controversy surrounding his firing; he wrote a negative review of Eidos' Kane & Lynch, Eidos complained to Gamespot after spending a large ad campaign on the site, and suddenly Jeff was out the door), and the subsequent (and recent) departures of two more editors, Frank Provo and Alex Navarro. It calls into question the journalistic integrity of video game reviews and demonstrates the growing power of media buyers to buy positive buzz. Scary.'