Games

Esports journalist Ashley Kang claims T1 blacklisted her for negative coverage

BBG News

During an interview, Ashley Kang claimed that T1 had excluded her from opportunities after she reported on a scandal occurring within their company.

In an exchange with gaming streamer Kim Seong-hoe, reporter Ashley Kang asserted that T1 CEO Joe Marsh and his PR team barred her from future interactions with the players following coverage of a dispute involving Oner in 2022. According to the journalist, she was repeatedly denied access to player interviews by T1 after this incident.

The interview you see was originally conducted in Korean and then translated into English by an individual on Reddit. Keep in mind that some subtle differences might remain due to the translation process.

Oner pictures controversy

In her initial chat with Kim Seong-hoe, Ashley Kang confessed that she found the topic at hand a bit intimidating and spoke up hesitantly.

As per Ashley Kang’s report, the media censorship seems to have begun following the controversy surrounding Mun “Oner” Hyeon-jun in 2022. In an article, she disclosed that T1 CEO Joe Marsh had a private Discord server where he shared confidential team details such as schedules, images, and early announcements with a select group of fans. The situation escalated when some shirtless pictures of Oner were posted, leading to inappropriate sexual comments within the chat. Ashley also exposed a comment from T1 Joe saying, “Who will spray oil on him [Oner]?”, which later he claimed was a “thirst trap”. This incident sparked numerous discussions on social media platforms about whether his remark was acceptable.

In simpler terms, Joe Marsh, CEO of T1, spoke up regarding the issue, clarifying that the content in question was intended solely for international fans, not Korean ones, and it turned out to be part of a $69 subscription package. However, many fans expressed their displeasure, claiming that international audiences were given paid content while Korean fans, who are actually paying, weren’t getting the same content. Additionally, they were upset about the perceived insensitivity towards Oner in his comments.

Blacklisted in LoL Worlds 2022

Following an article she wrote, Ashley Kang discovered that her media outlet, KORIZON, wasn’t being offered any interview opportunities with T1 at Worlds 2022. The PR team didn’t offer a clear explanation for this situation, but after some inquiry, they admitted that it was a direct decision made by Joe Marsh.

During the interview, she openly expressed her surprise by sharing that she accurately reported the incident and gave T1 an opportunity to respond. Ashley further explained that while T1 may prefer journalists who portray them positively, genuine journalism involves covering controversies as well. She emphasized that withholding such information could have detrimental effects on the scene in the long run.

Later on, Joe Marsh expressed regret and admitted that the Discord incident was inappropriate. He also mentioned that his salary was reduced due to this incident. Ashley shared that, being fluent in both Korean and English, she felt compelled to clarify for international fans who were responding to rumors surrounding Korean fans.

“I honestly thought you had more respect for me and my family.”

16 to 9:47 minute mark in the interview, you can view the text messages she shared.

A danger to journalism

During the interview, she repeatedly discussed a potentially harmful pattern where journalists voluntarily censor themselves and shy away from truth-telling due to fear, ultimately transforming into “company journalists.” The host also touched upon the varying interpretations of the term “blacklist” between Korean culture and English-speaking societies, as well as acknowledging that other journalists have privately expressed similar worries about media censorship, but remain silent out of apprehension.

While it’s possible for T1 to encourage journalists who present a positive image, genuine journalism involves reporting on both the positive aspects as well as controversies. Suppressing such reports in the long run can have detrimental effects on the overall scene.

Ashley Kang

Ashley, the journalist, pondered over the challenging situation she found herself in, confessing it was a tough ordeal so intense, it almost made her reconsider her journalistic career. However, upon viewing the Zeus video, she felt compelled to disclose her perspective on the matter. Despite her ongoing support for the players, Ashley expressed disappointment with T1’s organization, as they persistently suppress her voice. She was particularly critical of their PR approach, stating it often leads to unintended consequences. As evidence, she cited CEO Joe Marsh’s public declaration about safeguarding Zeus after Doran’s transfer, arguing that instead of quelling rumors, it only served to escalate them further.

Returning to New Zealand

During the interview, Ashley discussed a potential difficult situation in Korea, which isn’t just about being blacklisted, but could also lead to personal or legal attacks because of Korea’s stringent defamation laws. Ashley shared her struggles as she is not proficient in Korean and left her life in New Zealand for esports. If this experience turns into a past event, she said it would be very sad.

Apart from pondering a return to her initial profession, programming, and playfully suggesting the creation of RimWorld2, she expressed reluctance about departing from esports against her will. She described this potential scenario as deeply disheartening. Moreover, she found it extremely gratifying to observe players progress and develop camaraderie over time.

She assures that her opinions won’t impact her future player interviews should another opportunity arise; this promise was made following a dispute. After the incident, Ashley gained assistance from Riot HQ, and although it’s not frequent, she has since resumed interviewing T1 players.

Ashley Kang vs T1: the DDoS issue

Ashley Kang announced that T1 had another success following the DDoS incident. She admitted to finding their streams enjoyable, but emphasized that it’s a significant setback when a top team’s practice is disrupted by DDoS attacks. As a result, she decided to bring attention to this matter. Furthermore, she observed some fans blaming Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok for exploiting DDoS issues as an excuse for subpar performance. However, the players had openly discussed this problem in the past and expressed how challenging it was for them at that time.

As reported by her, despite over fifteen media sources saying the same thing, she was the only one subjected to punishment. The esports journalist expressed that this appeared to be a direct retaliation for the 2022 article. After another conversation with T1 CEO Joe Marsh, he stated: “You must publicly apologize or there will be no more T1 interviews”, asserting that she had harmed the team. She contended that her interview opportunities were consistently declined at the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2024, in contrast to other media outlets.

Community mixed reactions

Most members of the community showed support for Ashley in the Oner case, but seemed reluctant to extend the same sympathy regarding the DDoS matter. Many comments below the interview suggested that Ashley was responsible for stirring up negative responses on X, as she shared a quote from Faker in an inflammatory way, which caused significant backlash among players. It appears this wasn’t the first time such an incident occurred with Ashley, as she has made mistakes that have negatively impacted player reputations. The issue stemmed from an incomplete understanding of the full context of Faker’s post-match interview, which led to unwarranted hostility from the public.

Essentially, the user is saying that the DDOS reporting by Ashley led Faker/T1 to apologize unnecessarily, as there were numerous mistakes in her reporting at that time. However, they find other aspects of her actions disgusting and should not be overlooked. They are surprised that people have ignored Marsh’s offensive comments about Oner oil and instead focused on his more innocuous remarks. Other fans have been urging Ashley to apologize for her past errors, particularly the one concerning Faker’s interview.

As a passionate gamer, I’ve noticed the chatter about T1’s CEO, Joe Marsh. Fans and gamers alike are voicing their opinions that it’s high time for him to step down. One user went as far as accusing Joe of shirking responsibility and shifting blame onto others, just like he did with Zeus’s agency.

T1’s response

Up until now, T1 hasn’t spoken out regarding Ashley Kang’s accusations. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for an official response from their side soon.

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2025-04-05 21:11

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