This is a tough economic time for everyone in the games industry, whether we imagine games to be recession proof or not.  The segmentation of print journalism and the rise of blogs have been brought to the forefront of discussion. Alongside their mediums, reporters and members of the gaming press are finding their feet in new areas of the press, or even switching to the development side.

What about the young journalists?  I've had the pleasure of discussing games and the reporting thereof with dozens of different young writers looking to "make it" in the world of games reporting.  Nearly all of these folks, myself included, are working toward and finishing up bachelor's degrees in English or Journalism Studies, a milestone that a handful of notable top games journalists haven't accomplished themselves.

There are many websites devoted to showing these individuals the best way to break into the business, but the reliability of their notions are often questionable.  It's a general solution I couldn't imagine giving (and am still searching for myself).  Still, exploring the options for the young journalist is interesting.

Currently, the standard practice at most universities is to teach the same aspects of journalism that professors worked in.  These youngsters (usually in their early-to-mid twenties) are usually learning things like AP style, writing proper news and summary leads, and even elements of web and print layout design.  If the end goal for these students is to work in the games press, is this hurting their cause?

I would venture to immediately say "no."  Certainly, getting a degree helps the student become a better writer.  Yet they are forced down the same path as the rest of the aspiring journalists; toward fast-talking blogs with witty, photoshopped images.  In my time working at the same small-time blogs one writes at voluntarily "for the experience," the degree to which my education actually helps fluctuates, however.

I've had the opportunity to put these skills to the test doing copy editing, conducting email interviews, and writing features.  I was also on a writing team with a 16-year-old.  The editorial content I slaved over was lost in the "N4G and Digg mix" while the "10 Best Asses in Video Games" shot through the roof, garnering thousands of hits.

What the hell is happening here?

As my colleagues, my fellow young journalists have discussed, what direction is the games press going in?  If it helps the older journalists to know, we don't like it either.  Our Stylebooks are becoming increasingly useless, and I can often discard standard, appropriate formatting for my blog posts.  I have to regurgitate press releases and print every rumor I can, while the screams of comment sections question "newsworthiness" (though not the same one we learned in J-school).

This is a topic I hope to further explore.  I feel the sentiment of both old and young journalists hoping to work closer with the entertainment medium they love.  More often than not, it feels like pulling up to a train wreck, and wondering whether to continue on.