Media Blackouts and You: How the Gaming Press failed the public, themselves and Zoe Quinn.

The most talked about story of the past two weeks is the story no one is talking about.

On August 16th Eron Gjoni, ex-boyfriend of Depression Quest developer Zoe Quinn, dropped an extensive blog post detailing a series of alleged offences committed by Ms. Quinn. Most notably, he accused her of being romantically involved with Kotaku and Rock, Paper, Shotgun reporter Nathan Grayson, fellow indie developer Robin Arnott, and her employer Joshua Boggs during their eight month relationship. 

Further allegations arose in the aftermath, accusing Ms. Quinn of intentionally sabotaging a mentoring program for women entering games development, The Fine Young Capitalists, in favour of her own Rebel Jam. As internet sleuths took it upon themselves to investigate further they found Arnott had been the chair of the 2013 IndieCade Night Games Committee, for which Depression Quest was among the Official Selections. They also postulated the names of two other men Ms. Quinn may have been involved with: Kyler Pulver and Brandon McCartin. Pulver later denied any involvement.

The mainstream gaming press chose not to report on the allegations. In fact, they largely failed to acknowledge anything had happened at all.

Immediately, questions arose amongst the wider community regarding Mr. Grayson's coverage of Depression Quest and Ms. Quinn's involvement in the failed GAME_JAM program. As the revelations spread across the internet, the narrative became, "Quinn slept with Grayson for positive reviews."

However, while Mr. Grayson had reported on Depression Quest and GAME_JAM, he had published no reviews for her games, neither during his time at Rock, Paper, Shotgun, nor Kotaku.

However the media silence allowed rumours to spread. 

It was four days before editor Stephen Totilo (on vacation at the time the story broke) responded to the allegations on Twitter, stating, 

"The root of the questions about Nathan involve whether he was in a relationship with a developer he quoted in a Kotaku article on 3/31 

Nathan and I have discussed this and he assures me that at the time of that article he has not begun a relationship with the developer 

Nathan also has not written about the developer on Kotaku since. I see my reporter as having met standards readers would hope for

Nathan has my trust, and I believe he deserves yours as well."

That same day, Rock, Paper, Shotgun editor John Walker dismissed the allegations against Mr. Grayson.

Mr. Grayson's only article for Kotaku regarding Ms. Quinn, 'The Indie Game Reality TV Show That Went To Hell' (31/3/14), and his limited number of Rock, Paper, Shotgun articles regarding Ms. Quinn - and her game Depression Quest - do not (in this writer's opinion) sufficiently count as 'positive' coverage. 

The problems arise when one considers how their relationship may affect further coverage, as well as why Mr. Grayson did not alert his superiors of the possible conflict of interest.

But the gaming press refused to cover the issue; a decision which may have allowed the abuse levelled against Ms. Quinn to worsen.

Lets examine why the media exists.

News Values

Stephen Lamble, author of News As It Happens, says journalism has five roles:

"To act as a mirror reflecting society to itself...good and bad - the warts and tragedies as well as peaches and cream." In other words, to help us understand the society we live in by revealing and contextualising current events.

"To help keep influential and powerful individuals and institutions honest and accountable by exposing them to the sometimes harsh light of public scrutiny." 

"To be an agent for the good of society by providing a voice, often a voice of last resort, for individuals who have not been able to attain redress or have wrongs righted in other ways."

"Protect and promote democracy and democratic ideals."

And finally, "telling people in one part of the world what is happening in the rest of the world."

He also explains what makes a story 'newsworthy;' considerations every journalist makes before deciding whether to report on an event:

-Significance or impact. How does the story affect the audience/society?

-Proximity. How closely does the story relate to the reader, not just geographically, but also culturally, socially and emotionally?

-Conflict. Is there a conflict between subjects in the story?

-Human Interest. Human beings "have a passion for what other humans are doing." Not just in the salacious details, but also the uplifting and inspirational. We are naturally interested in each other's lives.

-Novelty. Is there something unusual about the event/story? Will it capture public interest?

-Prominence. Is the subject someone of importance?

Just glancing over these details, can you see how they validate reporting on Gjoni's allegations?

Lets take a look at the allegations in context.

News values in action

Mirroring society

While it may be distasteful to examine the personal lives of others, especially if we uncover something we don't like, it is a necessary part of a journalist's role. Examining the close relationships amongst developers and journalists in the gaming industry helps the consumer - and other developers - understand the structure of the community. What are the relationships that form between the press and the people they report on? What chances do unknown developers have when breaking in to the indie community? Will they be treated fairly?

Influence and prominence

Nathan Grayson, a journalist, has some control over what individuals and what games receive attention in the press. He has the power to recommend or dismiss products. As a voice for the consumer, and developers, he has a responsibility to be fair and honest in his reporting. This means avoiding situations where he may be swayed, overtly or subtly, to give preferable coverage.

Joshua Boggs, as a co-founder of indie studio Loveshack, has control over who the company hires and promotes (in both a public relations and employment capacity).

Robin Arnott, a developer himself and chair of an IndieCade committee, has control over who's games are selected for the event, how they are presented and how they are promoted. 

Zoe Quinn has been gaining in prominence for some time now. Allegations of harassment from online communities, the acceptance of her Twine game Depression Quest on to Steam Greenlight, her appearances on Giant Bomb livestreams and Rock, Paper Shotgun's GDC wrap-up coverage, as well as coverage across numerous other publications has brought her into the public eye.

While many have argued the importance of these individuals, and scrutinised any attempts to investigate their personal lives, Lamble argues, 

"Prominence can be a double-edged sword. One one hand, they invite journalists and media into their lives and use positive publicity to promote a certain image and build their careers. On the other, in the process they become blind to the fact that the more they allow their lives to become public property, the more they relinquish their privacy. Problems subsequently arise if journalists probe beyond the edges of a carefully cultivated media image, or if a prominent individual behaves badly. It is too late then to turn against journalists and media, saying in effect: 'Yes, I want you to report on the good things I do. But respect my privacy; you have no right to report on embarrassing things that might harm my image'!"

Their lives become even more open with social media; posting intimate thoughts and moments on public Twitter, Facebook or Tumblr accounts. One cannot justify releasing possibly damaging information into the public, and becoming incensed when it is reproduced by the media.

To clarify, this does not endorse the alleged theft and dissemination of private contact details, none of which were made public by the owners.

A voice for the voiceless

While the gaming press is eager to label themselves as champions for the marginalised, following through appears to be a harder task.

The Fine Young Capitalists are a small organisation promoting women in gaming, obviously a prominent issue in the current landscape. One of the organisers, posting on Reddit under the username SillySladar, reported The Fine Young Capitalists had contacted three major gaming publications asking for an investigation into Ms. Quinn's actions. SillySladar alleged the responses they received from all three publications doubted the legitimacy of The Fine Young Capitalists's claims, "If Zoe says [its] oppressive it must be true."

Even now the mainstream gaming press refuses to report on The Fine Young Capitalists, their financial support from anonymous imageboard 4chan and the fruits of that relationship.

Global news

The internet is a vital part of the video game community. Because so much of our interactions, our news, our products all rely on the web, we are a global community. While the most prominent of the gaming press and indie scene takes place in the Eastern United States, significant gaming communities exist in Asia, Europe, Australia and elsewhere. A game developed in Australia and launched on Steam is just as relevant to an American or European audience. While we may not all be situated in the Eastern US, privy to the personal goings on of close acquaintances, their actions affect the global industry. 

So why was the mainstream gaming press so reluctant to report on these issues?

Friends and Feminism

The gaming press is often the first ones to highlight the abuse women in the video game industry receive.

As men and women in the industry now appeared ready to shine a light on the oft-stated disproportionate harassment women receive, they have instead swung wildly from one extreme to the other: From ignoring the problem, to reporting on it, and now to ignoring issues which they believe may exacerbate it.

And while they fail to give credence to similar instances of harassment levelled against males in the same industry (even encouraging it in some cases), in the instances of abuse directed at women, they have become paralysed with fear.

No matter how benevolent or altruistic the cause, allowing one ideology to override journalism harms the industry and its subjects.

Again, we turn to Lamble, "Journalists must not suppress facts or fail to report opinions they disagree with... There should be no clues in a journalist's work about her or his political leaning, religious affiliation or other personal interests."

While social justice is an integral motivation in journalism, reporters should not become so blinded by one ideology, so fearful to appear out of step with the tenets of a movement, that they become too afraid to report the truth

This failure to separate ideology from journalistic integrity has led to an incredible amount of hand-wringing. A story about uncomfortable relationships, abuse of position, and marginalisation was ignored, lest it be misconstrued as an indictment of a woman's choices. So the gaming press hesitated; afraid they would be accused of 'slut-shaming' or 'blaming the victim.'

However, if journalists were able to stick to the meat of the issue, to report on the issues that were of interest and relevant to the gaming community, these accusations would have been baseless.

The press need not and should not pass any judgement on Ms. Quinn for committing what some may - or may not - perceive as sexual misconduct.

Clearly, the public found issue with Mr. Grayson's relationship with Ms. Quinn. While a certain conflict of interest did exist, the press should have clarified immediately that no specific gains came from their relationship. 

While there is no clear link to Depression Quest's acceptance by the IndieCade Night Games Committee, it should still be a matter of concern for other indie developers who may have been passed over because of favouritism. One worth investigating for their benefit.

And we come to the issue of relationships. We see videos of developers and journalists sitting on hotel room beds laughing and hanging off one another. They openly discuss their plans on social media to socialise, to live together, to enter into romantic relationships. They have become too close to one another that reporting on their foibles and fuck ups doesnt feel like they are doing something in the interest of the public and the industry. Its betraying a friend.

We, both the public and the gaming press, expect other journalists to report accurately and fairly on other issues. Imagine the outrage if we found out a journalist had been romantically involved with a politician. We see much of the American press tweeting news about the riots in Ferguson, Missouri. Desperate for unbiased coverage. Desperate for the people to be heard. How would they feel if one of the journalists had been involved with a member of the police force, then suppressed or twisted information?

The stakes in this case are much lower, but just how high do the stakes need to be before we consider integrity necessary?

While much of this may have been committed under the pretence of protecting Zoe Quinn from harassment, I would argue the media's actions may have increased abuse.

How the media harmed Zoe Quinn

I spoke to a journalist a few years ago, who was recounting her experiences working for a country town newspaper. She was discussing the necessity of reporting on tragedies in small communities.

Much like in the gaming community, country towns are very close knit. Everybody knows everybody else. So when tragedies, such as car accidents, occur why would the local news report it?

Such incidents can be incredibly distressing for the community and the journalist reporting. Unlike in a metropolitan city, the editor is probably friends with the victim's parents. The journalist saw the victim playing footy last weekend and shared a beer after the game. The witness to the accident went to school with the victim's siblings.

So why would the news report on something so personal and so distressing?

Well, as stated before, we are interested in each other's lives. And when the media's reporting is missing, people seek out the details themselves. One overhears a conversation at the pub. The victim was at the bar the night of the accident. He was driving a drunk friend home. As the story is passed on, details become exaggerated. Some are added. A game of telephone is played out across the town, and the parents of the victim are suddenly hearing their recently deceased child was out partying all night and drove home drunk. A passenger was also killed, and the passenger's parents hear that the driver is to blame.

All of this can be avoided with one news story, clearing up the details. For exmaple, the police found no alcohol in the driver's blood. There was no indication of reckless driving. In fact, they had swerved to miss an animal in the road. Everyone is aware of the facts, and rumour and speculation is put to rest. 

As stated, the gaming community is similarly small and close knit. We desire for information too. So where is our information about the scandal surrounding Zoe Quinn coming from?

Its coming from anonymous message boards. From unreliable sources. From pundits and commentators. From ideologues and activists. None of the information floating around can be trusted, yet that is all the information the masses are given.

Aaron Sorkin wrote,

"In the absence of genuine leadership, they'll listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone. They want leadership. They're so thirsty for it they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand."

We've seen the community flock to anyone who dares to talk about it, just for the chance to find out what the hell is going on.

As I've waded into threads over the past two weeks, some users have come in totally unaware of the story altogether. 

I've seen some wrongly report that Ms. Quinn was involved with five different journalists. I still see some alleging her involvement with reporters was followed by positive reviews. Individuals, like Internet Aristocrat, are injecting their own prejudices into the narrative, claiming Anita Sarkessian, the public face of Feminist Frequency, is some how involved in covering up the Quinn scandal.

Allegations have abounded that the 'hacking' of Ms. Quinn's Tumblr was faked and the information released was false. Similar allegations have been made in the wake of the release of Phil Fish's personal and professional documentation. The media has a responsibility to investigate these allegations, whether they are proven or disproven.

To disprove them means to clear the air. While the credibility of the gaming press is lacking, we would have a third party able to inform the public whether the hacking was genuine.

To leave these questions unanswered does considerably more harm than good.

Lets also consider the harassment Ms. Quinn has received.

An unstable individual browses one of the many 4chan threads covering this topic, one of the view outlets where discussion is permitted. Largely uninformed on the issue, they see two posts: one stating Ms. Quinn had slept with five journalists for positive reviews, the other stating her personal information was leaked. This is outrageous, that someone could do something so underhanded, they proclaim. They seek out the contact details and call or text or email or tweet violent threats at Ms. Quinn.

Now what if Kotaku, a site which this hypothetical individual regular browses, had released a story covering the issue? Clarifying she had been involved with only one journalist; one who had never published any reviews about Ms. Quinn or Depression Quest. What if Arnott was not the only member of the IndieCade Committee which selected her game? What if Boggs had not been the one to hire her, but another co-founder of Loveshack? All of these are questions which require answering, to stop the spread of misinformation, to stop slander and speculation and rumour and further opportunities for abuse and harassment.

While it may not have satisfied everyone, to publicly declare there had been no breach of professional integrity on anyone's behalf would have quelled the speculation. It may have caused many to reconsider before hurling abuse at Ms. Quinn or any of the involved parties.

John "TotalBiscuit" Bain was brought into the scandal by tweets he received asking his opinion on the matter. His response stated that he had no informed knowledge of the situation, and commented only on the speculation. He was consequently subjected to abuse for his remarks.

What if Mr. Bain had read a news report on Polygon clarifying the issue? Would he have spoken up at all? He certainly wouldn't have had to rely on the limited information sent to him via twitter and whatever problems his comments caused could have been avoided. He has been accused of exacerbating the problem by drawing attention to it with his misinformed comments. Should not the responsibility lie with the gaming press to inform the public?

John Walker, on his personal blog John Walker's Electronic House, says people are, 

"Repeating the same lie so many times that it becomes accepted by the followers of the event, becomes received information, passed on as fact, no one actually checking. And while that’s pathetic, to not check, it’s in a large part because of the extraordinary confidence and conviction of those who circulate the lie in the first place."

This is a shocking statement from a member of the press. To allege that the public are responsible for investigation is wilfully irresponsible. Such investigation requires the ethical and fair treatment expected of journalism. While critical thinking and skepticism are a healthy part of news coverage, he is blaming the public for not turning up to the site of the car crash to find out the details.

His only admission the press should discuss the matter, is for them to condemn it, to continue the feedback of harassment and counter-harassment, 

"Even today, I’ve seen very few games journalists say anything. I think most people believe that keeping their head down, “not giving it the oxygen of publicity”, is the best plan. Which is not the case. Every voice added to the chorus singing back against this stuff makes a significant difference. The faked crowd feels smaller when a real crowd starts condemning them."

The press on Twitter have laughed at and mocked the purported connections made between developers and journalists, while doing nothing to disprove them. Even if their own investigations find no evidence of any wrongdoing, is not that clarification helpful in stemming the tide of false connections and fanciful conspiracy theories?

Was it not worth it to clear Kyle Pulver's name as soon as possible?

Was it not worth it to stem the allegations against Nathan Grayson?

To conduct your own, ethical investigation into the allegations made by The Fine Young Capitalists?

To dispel allegations of favouritism in the IndieCade Night Committee?

Was it not worth it to dispel the allegations Zoe Quinn had received special treatment? 

To spare her from the invasion of privacy conducted by the brutal investigations into her private life?

Not so, according to the press.

And so they allow the frenzy to continue, hurling abuse and taunting their detractors. Meanwhile the real problems live on. Unsolved and unattended.