Jessica Howard (she/her) shapes conversations at the intersection of gaming culture and ethical journalism. As Managing Editor of Uppercut, she oversees coverage of:
Current Focus: Howard’s upcoming book Virtual Fences (2026) explores parallels between rural communities and online gaming spaces, under contract with Affirm Press.
celebrity gossip, hardware reviews
We’ve followed Jessica Howard’s multifaceted career as she evolved from documenting rural Australian life to analyzing global gaming trends. Her journey began with foundational work at Bush Journal, a publication she founded to spotlight agricultural communities and regional stories[3][4]. This phase established her expertise in long-form storytelling and photojournalism, with a focus on ethical representation in media.
Transitioning into entertainment journalism, Howard contributed to outlets like UPROXX and Collider between 2021-2023, covering Marvel film releases and gaming culture shifts[5][7]. Her current role as Managing Editor at Uppercut since 2024 marks her ascendancy in games journalism, where she oversees coverage of industry ethics and mental health narratives.
This groundbreaking piece chronicled the rise of marginalized voices in gaming spaces through interviews with 23 community leaders. Howard employed a case study approach to demonstrate how grassroots collectives like Black Girl Gamers developed monetization strategies while combating toxicity. The article became a reference point for discussions about representation in esports, cited in academic papers about digital community building[5].
Blending nostalgia analysis with market research, Howard curated an authoritative list of Pokémon franchise outliers. Her evaluation criteria included cultural impact (35% weighting), gameplay innovation (40%), and commercial success (25%). The article drove a 17% traffic surge to Collider’s gaming vertical and inspired three YouTube retrospectives analyzing her selections[7].
"True rural journalism requires walking the fence line between romanticization and exploitation – our cameras must capture both drought cracks and community resilience."
This manifesto outlined Howard’s photographic philosophy through 12 case studies of ethical storytelling. It influenced the Australian Press Council’s 2023 guidelines for regional reporting and remains required reading at three journalism schools[3].
Howard consistently explores how game mechanics affect player psychology. Pitches should highlight studios implementing WHO’s mental health guidelines or developers with psychology backgrounds. Reference her analysis of Celeste’s anxiety representation in her 2023 Uppercut editorial[7].
Leverage her rural journalism roots with stories about game studios in non-metropolitan areas. Successful 2024 pitches included a Tasmanian team creating Aboriginal folklore games and a Nebraska-based farm simulator collective[3][7].
With 14 articles critiquing loot boxes and NFT integration, Howard seeks examples of fair revenue models. Highlight projects using participatory design with players or transparent profit-sharing systems[5][7].
Her Collider work shows particular interest in game-to-screen adaptations. Pitch comparative analyses of narrative changes between mediums, especially lesser-known indie transitions[7].
Howard’s 2024 series on emulation legality indicates interest in archival efforts. Pitch interviews with game preservation societies or tech startups saving abandonware[7].
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Gaming, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
