A GDC epilogue: powerful games journalist men I have met

Game journalist Maddy Myers:

I have no idea how anybody else survives in games journalism. Well, actually, I do know now. It’s that other people just get day jobs. They do what I’ve done. If they’re lucky enough to find one that they can do in addition to journalism without wanting to die all the time. Maybe they just give up and get a full-time job that has nothing to do with journalism at all.

Eventually, if enough people tell you that your work isn’t valuable, you start to believe them. No matter how many high-minded ideals you have about writing having intrinsic value or journalistic ethics or whatever … continuing to hustle while you’re also hungry and depressed is basically impossible. I tried to do it. I failed.

It’s very disheartening reading posts like this. It’s another reminder journalism in almost any entertainment media (film, gaming, tv) is a dying full time occupation, in the process leading to a serious drop in quality and enthusiasm. Just as importantly, it’s a reminder of the amount of harassment and discrimination women often endure in this field, be it as journalists, developers, or even enthusiasts.