Question So in that review of the year episode of the point you poked fun at gamergate and as someone who sees it as a positive thing I was just wondering, do you think what's going on is ok the whole its ok if a "journalist" sleeps with someone he is supposed to be critiquing or do you just hear about the bad stuff like dumb people using the hashtag movement for their own trolling and such

Answer

No i think people who see loving relationships form between two humans as impinging on their ability to consume media are probably children or morons. Certainly they are both emotionally unintelligent and have an incredibly limited view of the real journalistic challenges that exist in this line of work.

I believe wholeheartedly in journalistic ethics - I’ve beaten that drum loud and clear for many years. Far before this stupidity. There are real barrier to press freedom that exist. There are real issues to consumer choice that exist. Paid for exclusives. Paid for previews. Paid for streams. Undisclosed sold Programming. Review Events. These are very real issues that need attention. But I guess none of them are sexy enough, right? That’s the point. That GamerGate is barking up the wrong tree. And they just….keep….fucking….barking.

So please, don’t get me wrong. I’m not only dismissing GamerGate because of the illegal and morally reprehensible acts that have been done in it’s name. But I’m dismissing it anyway, because it’s the most misguided and imbecilic argument for journalistic ethics I’ve ever witnessed.

And I’m not only somebody who was very aware of this as a ravenous consumer of games media for two decades, but I’ve since joined the press. So apologies if this comes across as pontificating, but I know more about this than you.

GamerGate isn’t a grass roots movement of “real gamers” against the corrupt press. They’re little more than the Fundamental Christians of the gaming world. Willfully ignorant, unnecessarily aggressive, damaging to their own cause and ultimately best ignored.





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I intentionally rarely post about GG because I believe, like most extreme groups, it’s damaging to our media to give them air time. So if you feel the need to reply to this post, please be aware that I delete them immediately before reading them. Thanks.