Some people asked me about that "Games Critics aren't professionals, they just pretend to be" thing and my thoughts on it. My thoughts are that the article is not relevant, it just pretends to be. Professionalism in this industry is almost entirely defined by how you are viewed in two key areas, the developers/publishers and your audience. If you are viewed as professional by developers and publishers, you will be trusted with advanced copies and the access you want. If you aren't, then you won't be. That's about as far as it goes and is the reason why acting in a professional manner when dealing with these companies is important. Professionalism in terms of your audience is a far more nebulous idea that varies wildly from person to person. Some viewers view the idea of professionalism as a negative, a relic of media that's long since past it's sell-by date in this rapidly changing industry. Some viewers see any sort of non-PR friendly interaction with the audience as unprofessional and condemn, while others crave that very same contact. Some view humour-focussed content as unprofessional, some find being overly critical of a title to be unprofessional, while some complain that professional videogame critics aren't critical enough. In my view, professionalism within this specific niche is all about fairness and consistency. Can you set aside your personal bias enough so that you do not unfairly condemn a title, while still maintaining your own individuality and preferences? Can you be even-handed yet still bring the condemnation when it's justified? Can you resist the temptation to create pieces which are purposely inflammatory even though you know they will garner more hits and ad revenue? In short, can you actually critique games and not fall into the trap of pandering and clickbait? Can you be fair and accurate?
Any other definition of professionalism outside of these bounds is in my view irrelevant. It doesn't pay the bills, it doesn't keep a roof over my head. If large multi-national companies view us as professionals and we hit the right notes for our audience, then those are the only defining factors that have any merit and importance. I doubt any of us are chasing Pulitzer prizes, we're more interested in making sure can afford the weekly shop.