Can I convince the critics?

Some gamers believe the Kunkel Awards are doomed, either for philosophical or personal reasons.

Here are the most common themes from Reddit and 8chan, followed by my gentle attempts at persuasion…

How is this a good thing? Most of the gaming media is complete shit, and this just gives those fuckers an opportunity to circle jerk and make themselves look good.

Last things first…

The author of this comment obviously has more experience than I do, but a circle jerk requires everyone to be intimately involved. The Kunkel Awards are judged by professional journalists who aren’t gaming journalists, thus neither group knows or meets the other.

Greed is good. If you reward excellent gaming journalism, you encourage more of it. Even reporters who are “complete shit” strive for upward mobility, and their resumes will benefit from winning awards bestowed by journalists who don’t know them.

I never supported this idea. SPJ should not be in the business of giving out awards, and instead act like a health inspector, but for journalistic ethics. Awarding individual pieces like this is like awarding a good dish at a restaurant that’s simultaneously infested with roaches and rats and breaking ever OSHA code in the book.

SPJ can’t shut down a media outlet like the health department can shut down a restaurant – nor do we want that power.

Instead, SPJ criticizes those who blatantly violate its Code of Ethics, from Rolling Stone’s “numerous failings” to Gawker’s “poor taste” to Brian Williams’ “tall tale.”

That might not sound like much, but journalists know they aren’t exactly respected by the public. The last thing they need is getting hassled by their own kind. So except for a few unethical assholes, the system mostly works.

We hope installing that system in the gaming press works, too.

SPJ offers awards because you need both carrots and sticks in this world. Complaining about bad journalism doesn’t show you how to do good journalism. So SPJ holds up shining examples of excellence and encourages everyone to emulate them.

The awards will be co-oped and used to by the hipsters to thumb their noses at gamers. Just like all other awards.

For decades, SPJ has offered awards for pro and college journalists. I’ve been a judge, off and on, for both since 2008. Maybe the Kunkels will be different, but so far, I’ve yet to be “co-oped” by a hipster.

This seems to be another hot mess of an idea from Koretzky.

Koretzky seems determined to try and some how make a name for himself via GamerGate, no matter how odd the suggestions are. The whole Airplay thing ended up being a joke more than anything (which even Koretzky seems to have recognised), so he is now trying out this.

In order…

While I’d love to take credit for the entire “hot mess,” I must confess I had talented help. See the bottom of my last post for details.

for details. My ambitions don’t include becoming Master Chief of GamerGate. To achieve that, I’d probably have to play video games more recent than Age of Empires III. Which I don’t.

With three months of hindsight, I’ve concluded SPJ AirPlay was a riddle, not a joke.

I somehow foresee GG bitching around when “the wrong people” will win this award.

I somehow foresee all sides bitching.

The gaming community’s emotions have become so weaponized, the Kunkel Awards will be both adored and abhorred. It just depends on which winners confirm the world view of each faction.

But that’s precisely why the Kunkel Awards are so needed. They won’t solve the gaming world’s problems, because journalism never does. But they’re a solid first step, which journalism often is.

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