OK. I think I have the most of the backstory now, and I've read the thread. And I don't even… I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would go and willingly stick their foot, and career prospects, into this snake pit. Seriously, Mr. Baron, what were you thinking?
I'm pretty much focused on writing about movies and anime, occasionally writing about other stuff I'm passionate about. I've done pretty well with writing about movies; got some essays published by an arthouse theater and interned as a script reader for a Hollywood production studio in part due to my movie criticism samples. So I'm a type of journalist,
No. That is commentary and criticism, not journalism. Journalism is a very specific vocation. Please learn the difference, because calling it journalism really only shows your ignorance and irritates real journalists.
but I played up the title to get the interview.
So you are admitting here that you also went into an interview under false pretenses? Again, what were you thinking? Didn't you get any doubts that maybe this wasn't a good idea?
Journalism isn't my main passion, though; considering shutting down the site at the end of the year if I can get a good job after graduation.
I honestly don't see that happening at this point. Not as a journalist, commentator, analyst, critic, boiler room copy boy, or anything. I really hate to be the bearer of bad news, but good jobs these days are incredibly scarce, especially in news media. Did it not occur to you that prospective employers will google your name and they will find this work of yours today? You should know by now that reputation is everything in media, and yet for some inexplicable reason you have willingly made yourself damaged goods before your career even began. With what I've seen today, I certainly wouldn't hire you.
What did you possibly hope to gain that's worth aborting your future career for?