MCV offers the results of a new survey that polls 50 games journalists on a variety of topics including the best and worst part of covering the games industry, the best press event they attended, the current state of print magazines, and some general advice for anyone looking to get into the glamorous (not) world of games journalism. The responses are anonymous which means that these jokers (who are mostly based in the UK) can say whatever the hell they want, but there are some interesting response - particularly about getting into the business. Here's a sample question and some answers:

Question: What advice would you give someone looking to become a games journalist?

Answers:

"You don’t need a salary to write – send completed work to publications for free to boost your CV, possibly get a job."

"Don’t. Terrible pay, long hours, ridiculous deadlines."

"Play games. Play non-triple-A games. Study house style of the publication you target. Write a straightforward (500 word) review of a game you know well in house style. Send this to the relevant editor (e.g. Reviews Editor) as a plain text document. Wait. Follow up. Then accept criticism and employ it. Follow-up. Develop a thick skin."

"Do it because you love games and really want to write about them, not because you want a career. Be prepared to write for free initially but know your own worth. Embrace the industry and it will embrace you back. Find new stories to tell as they’re popping up every day."

You can read the rest at MCV. It's interesting even if you don't plan on joining the filthy masses of games journalism..