Like, then and now I do get the impression that there's very little in the way of real "journalism" going on in gaming, but that seemed like just a weird non-sequitur people would trot out as a fig leaf for all the vileness whenever confronted about it.
It was a great trial run for flooding the zone with lies and outrage to defeat progressives. It worked then and continues to work.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/23/us/gamergate-harassment-reddi...
https://www.garbageday.email/p/here-s-how-epstein-broke-the-...
It worked, we collectively fell for it hook, line, and sinker. It keeps working. It will likely keep working for a long time as people continue to feel empowered by self-entrenchment and the want for affirmation that they're on the right side of history.
Around 2015-16 the same stategy was deployed to mainstream politics, which is when I feel internet culture truly died for good. Social media went from a pastime to an engine that fueled real world events.