The Question of Kickstarter Backing and Coverage

The promotion and writing about kickstarter campaigns while being a backer is a contentious issue. Many see it as simply pre-ordering and that it's no big deal either way. I would state however that the issue is a question of boundaries and professional distance.

First of all, Kickstarter itself lists it's purpose as being about funding projects. While there is this idea that backing a kickstarter is about pre-ordering, the actual words used by kickstarter itself goes against this assertion. [1]

When a journalist provides money for a kickstarter, they are playing the role of a financial patron. They have a direct financial relationship with the success of a project to be funded and "be". While an unlikely event, suppose a journalists contributions were the make or break it of a kickstarter being funded - in that event, they have a direct and immediate role in the success of the kickstarter.

There is also the fact that journalists will sometimes promote specific kickstarters on their own personal twitter accounts. In my opinion, I would take this as a form of endorsement of that particular kickstarter and a sign of potential bias. Even more so if they are a patron of that particular kickstarter. Furthermore, when looking through various journalists kickstarter pages it is obvious that they are selective in the kickstarters that they will back themselves. (Not getting into the fact that as a collective, many seem to back the same projects)

Why do journalists need to back a kickstarter in the first place to obtain a key? Shouldn't the developers be providing some way for journalists to demo the product without the need to back a kickstarter? Furthermore, in kickstarters there is often announcements that are for backers only, if journalists need to be a backer to access this information - isn't this a form of "paying for information"? From the SPJ Code of Ethics "Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money; avoid bidding for news" [2] Infact, wouldn't needing to be a backer in order to demo the product be the same?

Finally, and once again on the SPJ Code of Ethics there is this entry. "– Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and avoid political and other outside activities that may compromise integrity or impartiality, or may damage credibility." I would find that the special kickstarter only rewards could be considered special treatment as the typical consumer will not obtain these rewards.

In short, my issue with kickstarter backing and coverage and why I am listing them is as follows.
1. The fact that Kickstarter lists it's purpose as funding projects and the role of those who provide finances as "backers". This establishes a direct financial role.
2. The possibility that a journalists patronage could make or break a campaign and directly involves them financially in it's possible success.
3. The fact that being a backer could be a requirement to access backer only information, thus being a possible case of paying for information.
4. The fact that kickstarter only rewards can be considered a form of special treatment that the typical consumer will not enjoy nor have access to.
5. The fact that promotion of a kickstarter on twitter or other social media, along with coverage and patronage can be considered a form of endorsement.

I feel there are enough issues to list kickstarter backing and coverage as potential conflicts of interest. Even if these issues are overblown, they do present, at least, the appearance of a conflict of interest. Let's take, for example, GameJournoPros. Assume for the sake of argument that nothing terrible happened there, it was just normal banter between various folk from different media. It'd still be an issue because of the potential avenues of abuse from it. I see the same concern here.

EDIT:
Blaugast on Twitter provided me with a rather interesting conversation between Patrick Stafford and Luke Plunkett which validates this concern from journos themselves that backing kickstarter and then covering them may be ethically questionable. It's an interesting read. https://archive.is/FuTQ7

Footnotes
[1] https://www.kickstarter.com/hello
[2] http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp