#GamerGate: Actually, it is about ethics...

Solve the #GamerGate puzzle
Source: atom.smasher.org

What is #GamerGate?  Is the statement that “actually, it’s about ethics in game journalism” true?  Is it a misogynistic attempt to rid the gaming industry of female writers and developers?  Is it about a heretofore mainly ignored subculture of introverted middle-class white males casting themselves into the spotlight?  Or is it the 2014 version of #RevengePorn?

#GamerGate purports itself to be a crusade for establishing journalism ethics in game reviews.  The movement was born out of a blog post by an ex-boyfriend (Eron Gjoni) of a female game developer (Zoe Quinn) in which Gjoni accused Quinn of cheating on him with various industry people including journalists to advance her career.  Some in the gaming community rallied around this perceived injustice and started a ruthless online campaign to ‘pay back’ Quinn for her alleged indiscretions.  After hacking Quinn’s social media accounts and doxxing her (posting her personal information online), this group of vigilante gamers decided to astroturf their efforts into a battle cry for ethics in gaming journalism. 

Source: www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp

While #GamerGate wasn’t conceived from a real interest in ethics reform of gamer journalism, it doesn’t mean that no reform is necessary. Bloggers may consider themselves to be journalists whether they are self-publishing on WordPress or are part of a more mainstream publication but do they follow the basic tenets of the journalism code of ethics?

In the “Act Independently” section of the code of ethics published by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), it outlines how journalists need to avoid conflicts of interest including advertorials (advertisements that are disguised as editorial) and providing favorable treatment to advertisers.

Many of these game review sites rely heavily on advertising from the major game corporations.  And as is standard industry practice, many reviewers are given games for free to review.  Does this lead to an insurmountable conflict of interest?  A writer for The Guardian explains that “in a well-run media organisation, advertising and editorial are separated, everyone understands the boundaries.”   At Time magazine, we referred to this as the separation of church and state.  When the lines between edit and advertising get blurred, ethical boundaries tend to be crossed.

Similarly, blogs and vlogs by Social Justice Warriors (SJWs) such as Quinn and Anita Sarkeesian have come under fire for pushing a political agenda for personal gain. While both have garnered fame and, most likely, profit from being the feminist voice on this issue, does that render their beliefs unjust?  In the “Seek Truth and Report It” section of the SPJ code of ethics, journalists are encouraged to:

• Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable. Give voice to the voiceless.
• Recognize a special obligation to serve as watchdogs over public affairs and government.

In that vein, yes, Quinn and Sarkeesian are progressing the issue ethically. SJWs invoke Communitarianism, where community interests trump individual interest in the quest for social justice.

#GamerGate Gender Wars
Source: thelibertypapers.org

What is not ethical is the doxxing of Quinn and other females in the gaming industry.  The gamers demand ethics and transparency yet, they themselves hide behind fake profiles.  They release personal information about the SJWs not to further a conversation but to stifle it.  Just like with Jackie, the UVA student profiled by Rolling Stone magazine, the doxxing is done to intimidate anyone with an opposing viewpoint.  Even though there are differences between Jackie & Quinn - Jackie is a private citizen alleged to be the victim of a violent sexual crime while Quinn is a public figure discussing her personal involvement with #GamerGate - the reasons for doxxing are the same: to silence an opposing viewpoint through threats and intimidation.  These gamers misappropriate Mill’s Utilitarian Theory which states that “in the utilitarian view, it may be considered ethical to harm one person for the benefit of the group”. (Patterson and Wilkins, p. 10) 

Devin Faraci compares #GamerGate members to KKK
Source: MundaneMatt

If those who did the doxxing truly believed that their actions are ethical, they wouldn’t hide behind fake profiles and the comfort of anonymity that the internet provides.  They also wouldn’t astroturf their movement to look like a grass-roots uprising of ethics reform when it was a coordinated effort to regain control of their previously insular community and stifle all other voices.  Those behind the #GamerGate movement want to hold others to a higher standard than they hold themselves to.  This double standard contradicts journalism ethics.  Bloggers also used fake profiles to spy on and infiltrate the #GamerGate community.  While this seems very unethical, it is not against the SPJ code of ethics as it enabled the bloggers to uncover vital information that would otherwise not be made known.

Gamasutra is the free online version of Game Developer Magazine which relies on advertising to support itself.  Intel pulled its ads from Gamasutra after being deluged with complaints from the #GamerGate community.  This caught the attention of the mainstream press and brought Intel some unwanted coverage.  Intel later released a statement to correct any misconception that it supports misogyny.  If Intel had applied Rawl’s Veil of Ignorance, which asks decision-makers to examine the situation objectively from all points of view, they could have avoided the unflattering publicity.  It would seem that Intel reacted too quickly to customer complaints without giving due diligence to the issue at large.  

What is #GamerGate?  While that is still hotly debated, what we can all hopefully agree on, is that #GamerGate has brought us a much needed conversation about ethics in this new media age.