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Re: Be careful what you wish for...

<< My wife has been a journalist with many of this country's finest newspapers and there's no way any credible publication would allow it's writers to accept gifts or discounts >>

I guess things aren't what they used to be. One of this country's finest newspapers has egg all over its face from multiple recent scandals:

-- Judith Miller
-- The plagiarist whose name I forget
-- The smearing of Wen Lee Ho (I think that's the right name)

I don't think it took gifts or discounts to achieve that level of shame.

<< There isn't an audiophile magazine out there that maintains proper journalistic standards. >>

And who gets to decide what is "proper"? You? Joseph Stalin?

Consumer Reports attempts to do something that would probably meet with your approval, but the end product sucks, in my experience. On the other hand, let me give you an example of something you would probably disapprove of.

Our policy is to always deliver the product to the reviewer in person. We can then explain how it works (reviewers are regular people too, that don't always take the time to read the manual) and make sure everything is operating satisfactorily. This process usually takes a few hours -- we will always share some music and sometimes we will share a meal.

We don't give out any trinkets or gifts (screwdrivers, watches, or whatever), but nonetheless sometimes a degree of friendship is formed. (And sometimes not.) Now, a suspicious person might fear that this friendship (however superficial) could taint the review. And I suppose that it could.

But if you don't trust the reviewer to keep business and personal life separate, there is a very simple solution. Don't read that magazine. It's a lot easier than trying to make rules about "perfect" behavior from magazines (or people in general). And if you don't believe that, try reading Plato's "Republic" sometime. Well-intentioned, no doubt. But the end results are also no doubt horrifying.

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