I often criticize mainstream media coverage of NFTs and blockchain gaming as they lean on outdated conclusions and demonstrably false cliches. But, what about crypto media? Can you or should you trust us all?

Token Gamer and NFT Insider have decided to combine forces to launch a weekly podcast, Mint One (formerly WAX Lyrical). John Nichols of NFT Insider and I will discuss a new topic every week, as well as feature special guests. If there’s a topic you’d like us to cover, make sure you let us know through the Token Gamer Discord or Twitter, or the NFT Insider Discord or Twitter.

In last week’s episode, John and I decided to rattle some cages with unpopular opinions about crypto and we even disagreed on a few points. This week we’re back on the same team as we explore the media surrounding NFTs and blockchain gaming.

Episode 23: Can You Trust NFT Media?

Ethics is a major topic in journalism and one could be forgiven for thinking that it all simply maps over to the journalism of crypto and NFTs, but there are some interesting nuances. Perhaps mirroring other areas of crypto, there is a looseness around the ethical practices of publications in crypto, with many shilling projects they secretly hold tokens for or have a vested interest, for example.

Then, on the other side of the coin, there are publications that outright ban the holding of cryptocurrencies or NFTs when writing about the topic. This is sometimes compared with financial journalists writing about stock they own, but it isn’t a fair comparison. So, what do we do and how do we know who to trust?

There isn’t an easy answer to this question and I’m honestly not sure how we proceed. Transparency is paramount and I will always go out of my way to declare if I have any connection to a project I’m writing about. Blockchain Brawlers is a perfect example as I am an ambassador and Token Gamer is a block producer for WAX. Nevertheless, I am critical of the project when mistakes are made and will continue to be. But, content creators I have trusted who have been transparent have been exposed for doing unmarked sponsored content and I have never returned to their sites or channels.

The only answer I can find on this topic is similar in nature to the words of Lord Petyr Baelish in Game of Thrones: “sometimes when I try to understand a person’s motives, I play a little game. I assume the worst. What’s the worst reason they could possibly have for saying what they say and doing what they do? Then I ask myself, ‘how well does that reason explain what they say and what they do?’” That is, if someone is highly positive about something, presume they have something to gain and either take it with a pinch of salt or check, preferably both. That includes anyone writing for us!

We’d like to ask that if you listen to us on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify that you rate us five stars and leave us a review if you enjoy Mint One. This helps both our podcast and the blockchain gaming ecosystem as a whole!

To listen to Mint One, you can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Anchor, and Google Podcasts.