We launched The Esports Advocate (TEA) with the goal of creating the best publication in the world covering the business of esports and video games, and those emerging technologies and sectors that are tangentially-connected to them such as blockchain, NFTs, web3, the metaverse, the creator economy, entertainment, streaming platforms, etc.
But at the heart of everything we are going to do are some core tenets and principles that will guide us. I consider adhering to these principles as a covenant with our readers, partners, and the sectors we will cover: in short, we will always strive to do all things with integrity, ethics, transparency, accuracy, and quality guiding our every step. Let’s explore some of those core tenets.
Journalism 101:
We will follow the rules of journalism, always being steadfast in seeking out and telling the truth as honestly and frankly as possible no matter where it leads us. By the same token, we will always be fair, seeking out the subject(s) of our stories so that we can provide them an opportunity to respond in a timely manner. We will also be honest and forthright when dealing with people: when one of our writers says that something is “on the record,” “off the record,” or that information from a source will be “on background,” we mean it. We will follow the same rules that most media/news organizations adhere to, for example, the Associated Press.
Finally, when we make a mistake we will always own it and acknowledge it publicly and provide a correction in a timely manner. If we have made a fundamental mistake or a story has changed dramatically we will update the body of the story and the headline (when appropriate) and provide a note detailing the changes to our readers.
Disclosures:
We will always disclose relationships we have when we are writing a story about/related to a relationship past or present–whether it be a company or an individual. If we have a business dealing that has a financial benefit (for example, a partnership, sponsorship, biz development, etc.) of some kind, we will disclose it. In the event that one of our journalists accepts air fare, travel expenses, or lodging to cover an event from an event organizer or other principle we will disclose this information to the public so that readers can make up their own minds on whether or not such benefit has had an undue effect on the coverage that the journalist has provided.
Quality of Writing:
We will strictly adhere to AP Style in all the content we create and writers will be expected to work hard to meet our editorial standards. Nothing will be published without being reviewed by at least one editor, and writers will not be allowed to publish stories on their own.
Additionally, every writer we work with will be trained on how to write properly, how to be a proper journalist, and how to network effectively to do their jobs to the best of their ability. We want writers to learn how to be better at their craft so that when they stop writing for us they can go out into the world and earn a proper living at other major publications.
We refuse to simply rewrite the latest press release or copy what other publications are covering. We will use our writers strengths and expertise to create insightful content that informs both business executives and consumers on the business of esports.
Fairness:
We all have opinions, beliefs, and biases. It is not our job to police individuals or companies that we do not necessarily agree with based on their beliefs related to religion, sexual orientation, politics, etc. This does not mean that we won’t cover controversial topics—racism, sexism, gender discrimination, pay equity, the effects of religion on diversity, and more—we will, particularly when these issues have an adverse effect on a business, individual, or a group.
Finally, if a writer has an opinion and they feel strongly about it, they will have an opportunity to express it through editorial content when it makes sense. In a similar fashion, writers that work with us have a right to exercise their First Amendment rights outside of TEA on other platforms but we also reserve the right to separate ourselves from them in extreme circumstances.