✨Hey, Listen!✨
— IGN Creators Guild (@IGNUnion) February 6, 2024
We are the IGN Creators Guild and today, we're uniting in solidarity as we strive for a stronger, more equitable @IGN.
Support the #IGNCG by signing our petition: https://t.co/fYONeI1Xde@NewsGuild@CWAUnionpic.twitter.com/hoC884Thxd
On Tuesday, Feburary 6th, 2024, members of IGN's editorial, video, and creative staff have announced that they intend to vote for membership to join the NewsGuild-CWA union. While this move does not mark the first attempt by an editorial team in the gaming press to unionize, IGN represents one of the largest video game editorial sites around the world and news that its staff was attempting to unionize was even reported on mainstream media channels like The Hollywood Reporter and Variety.
In a public statement, the NewsGuild-CWA affirmed that the union representing workers at IGN would be called the "IGN Creators Guild" and went on further to say:
Today a supermajority of editorial and creative workers at IGN have announced that they are unionizing with the NewsGuild-CWA.
The unit will consist of a little over 80 employees at inception, with 87% of the eligible members signing union authorization cards. The IGN Creators Guild expects that Ziff Davis will voluntarily recognize the guild in response to this impressive participation from their staff.
The move to unionize comes after a year of record-breaking layoffs across entertainment and games journalism; in response to the need for better diversity and representation at the company; and in the wake of online media becoming less and less financially viable to staffers, many of which must live in some of the most expensive cities in the world in order to do their jobs.
One of the IGN Creators Guild's union reps, senior reporter Rebekah Valentine provided a statement on why she and others at IGN decided to move forward with unionization:
“I’ve seen what my colleagues are capable of, whether we’re producing content around blockbuster gaming and entertainment releases, spinning up massive live shows around tentpole industry events or staying abreast of the daily hum of popular culture, and it’s a constant reminder of what’s possible when this many smart and talented people work together”
“I’m immensely proud of this team, and want the best for all of us. IGN is already an industry leader in entertainment media, but it’s crucial that we ensure it also continues to be a bastion for the human beings who give it a voice.”
“IGN is an incredible place to work! But so many of the talented creators that make it so incredible need more support than they’re currently getting, especially when it comes to competitive pay and adequate time off”
Regardless of my personal feelings about IGN or some of the articles they have posted in the past and present, I stand by any and all attempts by workers to unionize so they can collectively bargain for better wages and fair treatment in the workplace. Hopefully this news spirals into a movement that leaves no major publication in the gaming press untouched. Glassdoor estimates that the starting salary for an editor starts as low as $51,170 per year and goes up to $82,692 per year for the highest level of seniority. However, IGN, like most of the big tentpole gaming press sites, has increasingly moved away from full-time staff and relied increasingly on freelancers which get compensated through temporary or one-off contracts.
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