In response to KIA about GameZone's post on GTFO: The Movie

Just wanted to address some of the concern I saw in regard to Samantha Bishop's post "New documentary tackles the implications and complications surrounding GamerGate" and the notion that GameZone is jumping on the "SJW boat". Simply put, no we are not. As always, the primary focus on GameZone will be what's most important -- games. So don't expect to see a flood of Gamergate articles, or click-bait headlines designed to fuel the fires (cough, Kotaku/Polygon, cough).



That being said, GZ has touched upon the subject of GamerGate in the past (and from the KIA post, I see you've already linked them). If you've read them, you can tell we're pretty passionate in what we say, and typically we reserve any comment on Gamergate-related topics to longer form features because it's not a topic that should be addressed in just a few paragraphs.



On Sunday, which was admittedly an incredibly slow news day following the excitement of E3, Samantha wrote about GTFO: The Movie. For the most part, it was a straight-forward news post, highlighting the fact that this movie on the subject of Gamergate is out and if you want to watch it, go for it. If not, don't. I don't think anything Samantha said was out of line or offensive. I'll admit, it had a brazen introduction, borderline snarky, but it's completely in-line with GameZone's overall tone. And that's what I love about Samantha's writing. She's smart, educated, and well-spoken. Admittedly, she's a much better writer than I am and why I'm glad we have her writing more on our website.



As for the subject of her news post, I haven't seen GTFO: The Movie. I don't know if Samantha has. But if you read her post, she's not really commenting on the quality or accuracy of the movie (maybe in the future we can do some sort of longer feature piece about it). She's merely saying that it's out.



Perhaps that's why many of you were taken aback by the post, because you're used to seeing longer form features on the topic of Gamergate, not just announcements. If that's the case, I apologize.



Having said that, Gamergate was established on the foundation of ethical, fair and unbiased reporting in video games (though, I think it should spread to ALL forms of media). It would be biased of us if we only wrote about one side of the conversation. It would be unfair and unethical of me to censor Samantha because she may have a differing viewpoint or opinion on the subject than I do. At GameZone, we're not afraid to express our opinions and are certainly not in the business of censoring a writer's opinion.



Again, though, I don't think anything Samantha wrote is offensive. It may not fall in line with everything you or I believe, but that's cool. That's what healthy conversation and debate is all about. Key word: Healthy. I encourage all of you to reach out with feedback, comment with how you feel, let us know what you want to see more of, etc. We exist as a community that shares the same hobby -- video games.



Just remember to be respectful. That's one thing I've stressed from the entire beginning -- it's okay to have differing opinions as long as you express those opinions in a respectful manner. I may not agree with anything Anita Sarkeesian says, but I've always been against the death threats sent her way and vice versa. We're all humans that love video games. Remember that.



On a side note, a lot of you are claiming that Samantha is some SJW infiltrating GameZone to spread her bias. That could not be any further from the truth. For anyone doubting that, I highly encourage you to check out a lengthier article she wrote on the subject of GamerGate back in September 2014. (http://www.gamezone.com/originals/sarkeesian-the-perfect-storm-of-right-message-wrong-conclusions-and-internet-rage). I believe this sort of intelligent, level-headedness writing is what you expect from GameZone, and I apologize if I've disappointed.



Thanks!



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