Broken
Toys
Random comments about
games and tractors
In The Grim Future, There Are Only Top Twenty Lists
….and everyone gets to be on one.
That’s the best explanation I can think of for Next Generation’s not only having Michael “Zonk” Zenke of Slashdot and Morgan “Tee Hee!” Webb of fifteen minutes ago listed as gaming journalists, but appearing next to each other.
Tune in to G4 next week, where Zonk explains how Blizzard has been going back and forth on Tactical Mastery and Morgan tries to spell the letter “J”. It’ll be great, really.
| Print article |
about 3 years ago
The word “journalist” doesn’t mean what it used to.
about 3 years ago
No kidding. Since when did Gabe and Tycho become “journalists?” Do they know about this?
about 3 years ago
“Influential gaming journalists” is two different brands of oxymoron at once.
about 3 years ago
According to that, just from posting on your blog I am already a journalist! Go me!
about 3 years ago
I would point out that the bigger crimes is the likes of Chris Grant (Game|Life) and Chris Kohler(Joystiq) being excluded, while she and I are on there.
about 3 years ago
People who report on videogames aren’t “journalists”.
about 3 years ago
Actually, it’s a pretty good list of the folks in gaming media who matter. Gabe and Tycho actually matter more than most of the folks on that list, in terms of reaching the audience and n terms of their weight their opinion carries.
about 3 years ago
Ouch.
about 3 years ago
Now I have to wonder why you’re reading Next Generation.
I’m a journalist. I don’t report on games. I report on the people making games. Fear my mad skills.
about 3 years ago
Poor Zonk. Maybe we should start a pub photo charity fund.
about 3 years ago
yes PA guys are worth noting and influential, but maybe not in the same list though as Dean Takahashi. And as far as Zonk… there are others in that list maybe who need more scrutiny, but its a fair cop (copping an attitude doesn’t gain you expertise).
Maybe the new criteria is access to readers, since bubblehead and Zonk via /. just have big audiences. DeanK has to rely on people actually being able to read and understand things like books.
about 3 years ago
Oh, ffs … one of my master’s is in journalism, from Medill … can I be a journalist too?
Pardon my elitist attitude, though I feel somewhat entitled to it — I guess having an intarwebs connection makes you a journalist now.
I own a gun. Does that make me a cop?
about 3 years ago
Only in Texas.
The saddest part of that list is that actual REAL journalists make cameos throughout. I may not agree with some of them (GG Newsweek, GG.) but they are legitimate professionals.
about 3 years ago
As an aside…from Dictionary.com
Journalism: \tab the occupation of reporting, writing, editing, photographing, or broadcasting news or of conducting any news organization as a business.
Journalist: One who practices journalism.
Because it’s games doesn’t make it any less journalism, and it should honestly be treated as such, not only by those who mock it, but by those who practice it (I’m looking at YOU, Spong).
Yes, a lot of the time we’re just posting PRs that we’ve been all but spoon-fed. But there’s nothing saying that we can’t (and shouldn’t) go beyond that.
And if you write a review, and it’s published, it’s a form of journalism, and that makes you a journalist.
Freelance (or free, even) journalists are no less ‘real’ or legitimate than their professional and print-based companions unless THEY THEMSELVES make themselves less, by their own actions (or inaction).
about 3 years ago
In the age of the Internet, everyone can be a journalist, however. That doesn’t mean they’re responsible, that doesn’t mean they’re answerable to anyone, that doesn’t mean they even have to take personal responsibility for what they write. Freelancers are only as good as their editors.
And when it’s about games, given how unevenly attention-whoring game companies can be, you can be a “game journalist” by just making yourself available to solicit reviews of whatever you feel like playing and writing about.
about 3 years ago
Agreed. Which is why I said that it is up to the ‘journalist’ in question to actually be a journalist, and not just some guy with a blog who bought a used copy of Spyro for the PSX and decided to review it.
I’m very lucky in that I have a good boss at GT who has a vision and cares about it.
about 3 years ago
Most of what these people do isn’t dealing with “news”, though. It’s editorialization in the form of reviews, with the occasional interview thrown in.
about 3 years ago
if you write a review, and it\’e2\’80\’99s published, it\’e2\’80\’99s a form of journalism, and that makes you a journalist.
Your opinions aren’t news unless you’re a celebrity, and if it’s not news, you’re not engaged in journalism.
about 3 years ago
Going by that criteria, there’re quite a number of people in print media who aren’t journalists, as they’re not celebrities.
about 3 years ago
Fifteen Minutes Ago would be a great name for a rock band.
about 3 years ago
Not everything available to read in print media is journalism.
about 3 years ago
Going by that criteria, there\’e2\’80\’99re quite a number of people in print media who aren\’e2\’80\’99t journalists, as they\’e2\’80\’99re not celebrities.
Exactly.
about 3 years ago
I don’t know the guy, but Luke Smith’s pic scares the hell out of me. Right out of an 80′s TV series.
about 3 years ago
My intent was not to imply that print was ZOMG AWESOMES and the only journalism as clearly that’s not the case. There are excellent e-journalists who do their homework and put thought to words with a keen and masterful understanding of the English language.
Then, of course, you have the Morgan Webbs. Hell, Mike & Jerry over at the Arcade are closer to real journalism than she’s ever been and they’re nothing of the sort!