# In-Game Video Journalists These Gamers Document Video Game Crime from Grand Theft Auto Online By Michael Baxter | Published 2014-01-24 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/video-game-crime References: [laughingsquid](http://laughingsquid.com/gamers-act-as-photojournalists-and-document-street-crime-in-grand-theft-auto-online/) & [reddit](http://www.reddit.com/r/GTAVMEDIA/comments/1vp2l7/native_gangs_of_los_santos/) The world of video game crime can be a scary one. When left unchecked virtual places like Los Santos from [Rockstar Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grand-theft-auto-vi)' Grand Theft Auto 5 can become cesspools of robbery and violence. This group of [video game journalists](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/video-game-review) is becoming the eyes of the city by documenting in game crime in the world of GTA. It's no surprise that a game like Grand Theft Auto has so much violent content. The rewards are virtually endless for violent crime and it encourages you to be as dastardly as possible -- and let's be honest, it's pretty awesome. The Media Lens group is putting the spotlight on this crime though by using the [in-game camera](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/minecraft-photo-mode) to catch players in the act of committing crime. These images actually look pretty professionally taken and seem like they could be real footage if it weren't for the graphical difference between the game pictures and real crime photography. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.7/10 - Popularity: 17% | Activity: 25% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Internet](https://www.trendhunter.com/internet) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **In-game Journalism:** The trend of in-game journalism could lead to opportunities for new gaming media outlets and platforms dedicated to documenting virtual crime. - **Virtual Crime Reporting:** The rise of virtual crime reporting could lead to disruptive technology solutions like in-game AI moderators or virtual justice systems. - **Virtual Reality Crime Scenes:** The emergence of in-game crime journalism could pave the way for virtual reality crime scene reconstructions for educational and simulation purposes. ### Where This Applies - **Gaming Journalism:** The rise of in-game journalism presents new opportunities for gaming journalism and media outlets to report on virtual crimes within games. - **Artificial Intelligence:** The need for in-game AI moderators to combat virtual crime could disrupt the AI industry and lead to new solutions for moderation in other virtual spaces. - **Law Enforcement Training:** The emergence of virtual reality crime scenes could disrupt the law enforcement training industry by providing a new platform for simulation training and practice. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Next-Gen Crime Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grand-theft-auto-vi.md) - [First-Person Television-Inspired Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/not-for-broadcast.md) - [Gallery-Focused Heist Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/african-futurism.md) - [Journalist-Focused Short Films](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-shooting.md) - [Organization-Backed Video Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/100-thieves-4.md) - [Immersive Horror Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eyes-never-wake.md) - [2D Forensic Investigation Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/forensic-investigation-game.md) - [Horror Media Creation Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/content-warning.md) - [Fake Video Gaming Essays](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/video-gaming.md)