Cody Mello-Klein at Game Informer.

CAMD graduate student Cody Mello-Klein, Journalism, is spending his Fall on co-op at Game Informer, the world’s #1 video game magazine featuring online and print articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games. Cody is writing daily articles for their website, while also pitching and writing longer features, interviews, and previews for upcoming games. For a student who is passionate about both gaming and writing, two unique interests that are not typically combined, there simply couldn’t be a more perfect fit.

While it is still early into his experience there, Cody has already learned a lot about how the news pipeline works at Game Informer, which is touted as one of the oldest and most respected outlets in the games journalism industry. He has had the opportunity to learn directly from editors, who have passed along tangible skills and helpful tips about freelancing, interviewing, and visiting game studios. From how to effectively pitch ideas to his editors to capturing gameplay video for video features, Cody is learning something new every day.

Game Informer’s location in Minneapolis was just another added bonus.

“I was really excited to live in another part of the country. I’ve been in Boston for my entire undergrad career (including co-op) and grad program, so I jumped at the chance to experience another city for a couple of months,” explains Cody. “Minneapolis is a cool city (literally and figuratively) full of welcoming people and a surprising amount of artistic vibrancy. I’m still getting used to the rhythm of life here, but I’m already loving the city.”

As his co-op goes on, he is hoping to utilize the experience to learn the ins and outs of the industry and witness, first-hand, the daily cycle of a news outlet that focuses on the games industry, a very specialized niche. Every news outlet has its own pace, vibe, traditions, and schedule, so this is an opportunity to become fully immersed in its day-to-day production. He is also excited to learn how to change his writing style in order to fit a particular outlet’s style – this is key for a journalist like Cody, who sees himself freelancing in the future. And of course, on top of all these goals, he plans to have some fun and experience what it’s like to be surrounded by people who share the same passions.

“For me, at this point, gaming is more than a hobby; it’s a true passion. I’ve been playing games since I was seven years old, and they have been my means of connecting with people, ideas, and worlds for a long time now,” Cody concludes. “It’s only recently that I’ve realized how powerful games are as a tool for empathy and storytelling. Being able to occupy the life of someone completely different than yourself is a powerful experience and one that I think everybody should have.”