Video Game Journalism 101: Ethics

Welcome to the second session of Video Game Journalism 101. This year-long video series is a reimagining of my college course on video game journalism, media literacy, and consuming content in the age of disinformation. New episodes premiere on the first Monday of each month.

This session, we go deep into the core of journalism, making sense of the complex and evolving ethics that make your media trustworthy, reliable, and in service of the public good. This is the second and final session focused on core journalism principles. Next month, we get into some true video games media history and chaos. You'll see how the earliest video game media of the 1980s established peculiar (and sometimes self-defeating) habits that continue today. And you'll collectively imagine a healthier future for games culture, media, and discourse.

In case you missed the first session, I explained the core tenets of traditional journalism: what it is, how it's produced, who it helps and who it holds accountable, and why you should think of yourself as a journalist even if you never intend to publish a story. You can watch it here.

But today, it's actually about ethics in games journalism.

Please feel free to respond to the video's questions and conversation prompts in the comments. I'll regularly check this post to reply and to nurture conversations.

Reference materials:

READINGS FOR THIS VIDEO:

• Rosenstiel, T. and Kovach, B. (2007) The Elements of Journalism, Ch. 1 & 2. Three Rivers Press.

• Singer, J. and Friend, C. (2007) Online Journalism Ethics, Ch. 1, Appendix A. M.E. Sharpe, Inc.

• Lorenz, T. (2020, Aug. 28). College Is Everywhere Now. The New York Times. (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/28/style/college-collab-houses-coronavirus.html?action=click&module=Features&pgtype=Homepage) 

• Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die (https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a3269/to-catch-a-predator/) (Archive link)

• Computer and Video Games, Issue 1 (http://www.64apocalypse.com/images/cvg/magintro.htm)

• Electronic Games, Issue 1 (http://www.retromags.com/magazines/category/usa/electronic-games-1981/electronic-games-issue-1#.UsXHwWRDuRZ)

READINGS FOR THE NEXT VIDEO ON GAME PREVIEWS:

• Preview '89. (May 1989). Electronic Gaming Monthly, Issue 1.

• IGN Staff. (2000, Aug. 30). Smuggler’s Run. IGN. (http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/08/31/smugglers-run-2)

• Green, J. (May 2007). Crudgel of Xanthor. Games for  Windows (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OcacAndlY9L0Txbe3WIPI8bowhn0jJ9MvhiakPy--58/edit?usp=sharing)

• Gallegos, A. (2011, June 8). E3 2011: Frogger 3DS. IGN.com. (http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/06/09/e3-2011-frogger-3ds-you-cross-the-road)

• Mastrapa, G. (2008, Oct. 1). I Survived Four Hours of Fallout 3, Part 1. CrispyGamer.com. (http://www.crispygamer.com/features/2008-10-01/i-survived-four-hours-of-fallout-3-part-1.aspx)

• Jackson, G. (2017, June 6). At E3 2017, Black Characters' Hair Looks Better Than Ever. Kotaku. (https://kotaku.com/at-e3-2017-black-characters-hair-looks-better-than-eve-1796139786)