gaming-journalism-shirtWhat will you be wearing on Thursday night at 6:30pm? The answer could reveal where you stand on the theme of Heidi’s latest SDCC Comics Journalism panel, “It’s About Ethics in Comics Journalism.”

If you’ve been following news in the geek and nerd world over the last year, you know that ethics has been a hot issue in our community — and, for better or worse, the “Actually, it’s about ethics in gaming journalism” meme has to a significant degree framed the debate. The panel itself concerns what responsibility – if any – those of us who report on the comics community have to shape the debates, both within the comics community have to weigh in on the timeless question posed by the great moral philosopher Janet Jackson: Who’s right? Who’s wrong?

Not surprisingly, this panel has caught the attention of some within the Gamergate community, from Mundane Matt to a Reddit discussion group of what to wear in protest.

Will Gamergaters show up wearing Gamergate t-shirts or cosplaying as the Joker? Is the panel going to be just a bunch of social justice warriors spewing lies about about a noble social movement? And, per Mundane Matt, is a journalist without ethics really just a blogger? Looks like we’ll discover the answers to all these questions on Thursday night.

Comics Journalism: It’s About Ethics In Comics Journalism
Thursday, July 9, 6:30-7:30pm

Gamergate, cheesecake covers and the objectification of women, barking puppies at the Hugo Awards, punching down at Charlie Hebdo, diversifying the multiverse – ethics has become one of the hottest issues in pop culture today, and fandom has converged on comics news sites as a battleworld for debating who should win the culture wars. The Beat’s Heidi MacDonald, CBR’s Joe Illidge and Casey Gilly, Comicbook.com’s James Viscardi, Hitfix’ Donna Dickens and other leading comics journalists discuss what, if any, ethical principles should shape news stories affecting the comics community. Attorney and ethics professor Jeff Trexler moderates.