You have proof of corruption in games journalism. Use that proof.

Pundits opposed to #GamerGate continually spout off at the fingertips about the consumer revolt being mired in harassment and misogyny. News outlets scoff and make snide remarks about #GamerGate’s call for better ethics in journalism a “conspiracy theory” and shutdown any attempt to take the consumer revolt seriously. At one point, it was easy to see how what they were saying could have been a true narrative, but the times have changed… only, not everyone seems to recognize that.

It’s been more than two months since gamers became fed up with the current crop of games journalists, but the discussion has been focused on oppression Olympics and tit-for-tat, back-and-forth one-ups on who can out-snark who (among the very notable victories associated with the very impressive “Operation Disrespectful Nod“). However, parts of the scandal is becoming a parody of itself.

The reality is that gamers had long suspected that corruption was rife within the gaming industry, and it is. The problem is that rooting it out is no easy task, and the people involved with some of this corruption are the very same people who provide you with the news and information that you soak up about the products, people and games that you love.

Nevertheless, when media yelled at you that the calls for better ethics was nothing more than an excuse encapsulated in conspiracy theory in order to harass women, they were proven wrong when you were recently handed a smoking gun that actually proved there was corruption within the games media… more specifically, corruption involving the Game Journo Pros using their powers to blacklist a fellow journalist.

However, this has been a muted victory. It’s become a talking point on the outskirts of a rally around social-media oppression Olympics instead of the talking point: there is corruption in games media and you have proof of it.

Other sites have even started to chime in – almost unwillingly in some cases – because it’s becoming an unavoidable situation. Game Zone did a fairly lengthy piece about Destructoid’s corruption, even including the Game Journo Pros illegal blacklisting. Additionally, Games Industry tried tip-toeing around the resignation of Dale North as editor-in-chief at Destructoid, but was forced to at least acknowledge what was going on. Allistair Pinsof even recently held an AMA on Reddit talking about his firing and the involvement of the private mailing list that resulted in him being outed. The information is there and the conversation about corruption is begging to be had.

You have an opportunity here to change the narrative.

Force the media to address the Game Journo Pros [via Breitbart and Bright Side of News]; force the media to talk about this issue and your concerns with the reform of games journalism (and given the way a lot of mainstream sites have handled this, the reform in journalism as a whole). When you go on radio interviews and have a chance to discuss #GamerGate with the general public, force the discussion around the corruption within the media.

Organize an effort to take the relevant information to neutral writers like Erik Kain, or YouTubers like Alpha Omega Sin or ReviewTech USA who cover gaming news, and persistently get them to listen.

The corruption angle is no longer guesswork and theory, it’s fact.

What’s more is that other individuals are willing to step forward and offer their stories about corruption in games journalism if they feel #GamerGate will legitimately address the concerns and put this topic at the forefront of your efforts.

You no longer have to play on the defense regarding the media’s spin involving harassment and abuse; you can go on the offense with proof of the corruption.

Don’t get bogged down in the oppression Olympics; put that to the side. The shills and media spinsters won’t stop with that stuff and it’s only there to distract you, as pointed out by Oliver Campbell. Keep sending e-mails to advertisers and focus on what riled you up in the first place: piss-poor ethics in games media.

You have a smoking gun, so use it.

(Main image courtesy of Role Pages)