Big Layoffs As Polygon Sold To Valnet
Image Source: Game Developer
Gaming journalism has changed with the rest of us in the ever-changing technology space. However, as corporate consolidation and buyouts increase, the birth of new journalistic endeavors doesn’t match the death rate. There are some rare examples, like the closing and rebirth of Game Informer, but all too often, when a gaming news site closes or loses its independence, a hole opens in the medium.
Sadly, that seems to be the case now with the gaming site Polygon. While Polygon may not have been strictly independent, owned by Vox Media, they had a voice and personality to it that will likely disappear. They have been sold to Valnet, a Canadian mass media company, which some describe as a slop factory, that owns publications like Game Rant.
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That could be hyperbole, but reports don’t paint a favorable picture of the company, and the fact that they have basically wiped out most of the editorial team, including Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief, Chris Plante, does not inspire much confidence that one of the biggest names in games journalism will continue to be the brand people have come to enjoy. In a report earlier this year in TheWrap, former contributors had this to say about working for Valnet: “In journalism, there are really bad jobs. And then there is a place like Valnet…[It’s] one of the worst places that I’ve ever worked and is probably one of the worst journalism publications I’ve ever seen.” Valnet responded by suing TheWrap for libel. That lawsuit is ongoing.
Despite a press release, many people found out about the sale through announcements on social media from many of the journalists that were laid off, including Chris Plante. That could be due to the press-release not mentioning the layoffs, surely a simple oversight given how many people are now out of work. The sale also came during a time which the Vox Media Union was negotiating a new contract.
Independence is something we all strive for. Some achieve it, some do not. In those instances where they don’t achieve independence, it often becomes the objective for many who have to help those who haven’t. That being the case, it falls on the fans to support the people who have lost their jobs due to the insatiable corporate hunger for more profits.
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Source(s): Kotaku
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