mornelithe said:
Well, I was hoping for some kind of response, either that you understood what I meant, or maybe a critique on the statement (And you gave it, so I thank you). In the realm of this thread, what you have to say is absolutely relevant. It IS hard being a writer online, and as a fan of games who depends on outside sources for information, it's also very hard on users to have to jump from place to place to place to find writers they can put their confidence in. I would stop you however, from refering to it as a debate. It's not necessarily about winning points in an argument. I think it's a very real issue, and something that only open dialogue between writers themselves and fans can work through. Because I do think it's fair to suggest that many people view all writers now, through a lens of skepticism first, and that's unfair to the profession and the individual, and it's an ugly fact that the poor behavior of others has kind of hurt all established and aspiring writers. |
To be honest I guess I don't really concern myself with the state of the industry as a whole because I don't consider myself a part of it. I'm a video game journalist the same way someone who fixes up their house on the weekend is a contractor. I've never worried about this general mistrust of game journalism because in the end it affects a very small part of my life. An enjoyable part of my life, but a small one none the less. So I guess I didn't initially respond because I just don't find the gamergate type topic (I don't mean to label you in such a crowd, but it was the only term I could come up with for this type of discussion of general media trustworthiness) interesting to talk about.
When I make a comment on these things, it's from the point of an individual writer who puts things on the internet and would prefer that he be treated with the same benefit of the doubt I think most would give someone they meet in person. Because I've put my true identity out there so this isn't an anonymous internet post which I can understand not trusting on face value. I personally give the benefit of the doubt to any writer putting content online, particularly when they have knowledge I don't. I trust social scientists that a study on the effects of first experience on gay black men is worth millions of dollars. I trust artists that a gallery of 7 artists' interpretation of the color white is worth their time (not mine, but at least theirs). I admit that might make me overly optimistic or naieve, but I think that most people are good, honest people, and I think that applies to game journalists just as much as it applies to any profession.
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