Sometimes I wonder. I suppose that's a natural enough statement. I'm a journalist; by nature , curious, and on what some like to define as an 'epic quest' for the truth. I can take it a little too seriously sometimes. Sometimes, I wonder.
Why do I look for the truth in all the wrong places?
In case any one gamer fell off the face of the planet within the last few weeks, Ill summerize what I've been wondering so much about. This line of events have been reported by both GamerVision (www.gamervision.com) and GamingToday (news.filefront.com)
1) Conservative Blogger Kevin McCullough bashes Bioware's Xbox360 exclusive Mass Effect , claiming full blown sex scenes; something gamers know not to be true.
2) Gamers retaliate, and McCullough gives a half hearted 'apology', 'admitting' maybe he was not as correct as he assumed himself to be. A drastic admittance, I know....
3) Fox News, the 'news' program owned by Rupert Murdoch , known for their ...unique...interpretation of their own slogan, Fair And Balanced, joins in the Mass Effect bashing wagon, inviting two panelists and 'experts' on to their show to debate the subject: Cooper Lawrence, talk show host and author self-help books, and Spike TV's Geoff Keighley. In pure Fox News fashion, Keighley was pretty much blown off and spoken to as if he did not know a thing about his debate subject, despite Lawrence admitting to never playing the game in question
4) EA Games [who bought out Bioware] sends a letter to Fox News , asking for them to correct their mistakes about Mass Effect ; citing each piece of misinformation , and then supplying the truth about their game Here is a sample for your enjoyment:
"As video games continue to take audiences away from television, we expect to see more TV news stories warning parents about the corrupting influence of interactive entertainment. But this represents a new level of recklessness."
5) Fox News essentially ignores EAs request, until sending them a message, saying that since EA did not show up on the show to defend their own game, they will not be making any corrections.
The question at hand is:
Why did I expect anything to change?
Perhaps it is because I am a journalism major, studying the subject because of my pre-mentioned "epic quest". My professors have always taught me to search for truth in a way that promotes journalistic integrity. To report with respect to the primary purpose of journalism as written by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel which can be directly quoted as "The primary purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with the information they need to be free and self-governing."And summed up by saying "You report the story, in a way that gives readers the facts, so that they can make their own opinions and decisions. Don't try to make those for them in your writing".
Give the reader the facts that they need to make their own decisions. Tell them what's going on, tell them what the historical context is, tell them how it will effect society and other current events. Don't tell them what to think or what to do about it.
Why did I expect any different from Fox, the company my professors site as a perfect example of "what not to do", the very same people that were exposed for all of their biases and lies in the documentary "Out Foxed" the company owned by a man that owns half the world by ways of media. Did I expect them to tell the truth on a game, something, as EA says , is allegedly threatening the money the television industry is making?
Did I expect Journalistic Integrity?
Yes.
Why?
Because the general public deserves it.
Get your act together Fox. Stop Misrepresenting things that don't put an extra million dollars in your pocket.
Get it together.
Stop making Journalists [and in this case gamers] Look bad.
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