Do #GamerGaters really think it’s “unethical” for the media to report things the police don’t want them to?

Lapdogs: Adorable, but not what the media should aspire to be

Does the average #GamerGater has about as much real understanding of “ethics in journalism” as a dirty sock?

Over on KotakuInAtion, which describes itself as “the almost-official #GamerGate subreddit” and “the main hub for GamerGate discussion on Reddit,” the regulars have given hundreds of upvotes to this little post on media “ethics.” 

To make sure everyone understands what an “ethical” issue this is, the post is helpfully labeled “ethics,” twice.

Now, it’s one thing to say “I wish the media would cover mass shooting cases less sensationalistically,” or  “I wish the media would focus more on Chris Mintz, the hero who put himself in the line of fire in order to protect others, rather than on the cowardly killer.” There are plenty of things to criticize about the media coverage of the case.

But demanding that the media not report something because the police don’t want them to? That’s not “media ethics.” That’s being a lapdog.

It’s the job of the media to report things that the police don’t want them to report.

To their credit, there are some commenters making this point in the KotakuInAction thread. But they aren’t the ones getting hundreds of upvotes.

Apparently, to a lot of #GamerGaters, it’s “unethical” for the media to ever say or do something they disagree with.