📺 Media
“Why waste my time with some fluff piece when my audience deserves the news they really care about? The world is on fire. Someone has to make sure people know who’s lighting the matches.” — Carmen 24/7, Reporter for Never Blink News
🎯 Identity
Play this if you want to be like… Gonzo journalist • Lois Lane with a death wish • Woodward & Bernstein • A truth-seeker in a city of lies
You expose the truth. Corporations, governments, gangs — you dig up their secrets and put them on blast. They’ll try to kill you for it. You do it anyway.
Dangerous Work
The Corps used to own everything. The War changed that. Now you can tell the truth — but they still try to stop you.
💡 Character Concepts
- The Crusader — You believe in the truth. Naive? Maybe. But you’re dangerous.
- The Glory Hound — Fame comes to those who take risks. Big risks.
- The Embedded — You run with an Edgerunner crew. You tell their story.
- The Whistleblower — You were corporate. You saw too much. Now you talk.
- The Survivor — They’ve tried to kill you three times. You’re still broadcasting.
- The Propagandist — Truth is subjective. You shape it for whoever pays.
🎮 Role Ability: Credibility
Your reputation is your power. The more credible you are, the more impact your stories have and the better your sources.
A Media gets a free Credibility + 1d10 rumor check from the GM at least twice per week (passive). You can also actively hunt for rumors by talking to contacts, performing interrogations, or rolling Perception.
To publish a story, roll Credibility + 1d10 vs. a DV set by the GM based on opposition strength.
Believability & Evidence
For each story’s believability, GM rolls 1d10 — if at or below the listed value, most people believe it. Evidence adds bonuses (+1 per hard evidence, +2 for smoking-gun, max +3).
Rank-by-Rank Breakdown
Ranks 1–2
- Access/Sources: Local honcho, gang lord, neighborhood leadership
- Audience: Neighborhood
- Believability: 2 out of 10
- Impact: Small, incremental change. A few beat cops show up, nothing more.
Ranks 3–4
- Access/Sources: City gang honcho, minor politician, Corp Exec
- Audience: Local/Data Pool
- Believability: 3 out of 10
- Impact: Direct effect — local bad guys get arrested. Local leadership forced to make changes.
Ranks 5–6
- Access/Sources: Major City player, City politico, neighborhood celebrity
- Audience: Citywide
- Believability: 4 out of 10
- Impact: Laws get passed, ordinances changed, candidates elected or unelected.
Ranks 7–8
- Access/Sources: Local Corp president, mayor or City manager, local celebrity
- Audience: Statewide
- Believability: 5 out of 10
- Impact: Changes in several cities. Local Corps unseated. Major politicos booted.
Rank 9
- Access/Sources: Divisional Corp head, state politico, well known celebrity
- Audience: National
- Believability: 6 out of 10
- Impact: National changes; large Corps or political parties toppled.
Rank 10
- Access/Sources: Major world leader, major Corp head, world-famous celebrity
- Audience: Worldwide
- Believability: 7 out of 10
- Impact: World changes; Megacorps fall, governments change, new political movements arise.
📘 How to Play
Roleplay Tips
Medias are the most dangerous non-combat role in Cyberpunk RED. Your weapon is truth, and in Night City, truth gets people killed — especially you.
The drama comes from:
- What won’t you publish? Some stories destroy innocent lives. Do you care?
- Who are your sources? Everyone has an angle. Can you see through the manipulation?
- The story vs. the team. Your crew does illegal things. Do you report on that too?
Common Situations
| Situation | Roll This | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Researching a story | INT + Library Search | Data Pool, archives, records |
| Connecting the dots | INT + Deduction | The core investigation skill |
| Reading a source | EMP + Human Perception | Are they lying? Hiding something? |
| Getting someone to talk | EMP + Conversation | Subtle extraction |
| Pressuring a source | COOL + Persuasion | More aggressive approach |
| Noticing key details | INT + Perception | Crime scenes, meetings |
| Tailing a suspect | DEX + Stealth | Surveillance work |
| Publishing a story | Credibility + 1d10 vs DV | Your role ability in action |
Tactical Tips
- Credibility is everything. Protect your reputation — once lost, it’s hard to rebuild.
- Gather evidence before publishing. Evidence boosts believability by up to +3. That’s the difference between a rumor and a bombshell.
- Deduction + Library Search is your combo. Research the background, then connect the dots.
- Have a bodyguard. You will make enemies. Plan for violence you didn’t start.
- Your passive rumor checks are free intel. Remind the GM — you get those twice per week.
- Know when to sit on a story. Sometimes the threat of publication is more valuable than the publication itself.
🔑 Key Skills
🔍 Primary — Investigation
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🗣️ Social
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⚔️ Survival
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📋 Quick Reference
Recommended STATs
| Priority | STATs | Why |
|---|---|---|
| High | INT, COOL | Investigation and composure |
| Medium | EMP | Building sources, reading people |
| Low | BODY | You’re not the muscle |
Starting Gear
- Recording equipment — Audio/video
- Agent — Communication and publishing
- Press credentials — Sometimes helps
- Light Pistol — The powerful don’t play fair
📜 Role Lifepath
What's your medium?
d6 Medium 1 Video journalist — you go live 2 Investigative reporter — deep dives 3 Data Pool streamer — entertainment with teeth 4 Underground zine — anti-establishment 5 Corporate news (undercover?) 6 Freelance — sell to whoever pays
What's your beat?
d6 Beat 1 Corporate corruption 2 Street crime and gangs 3 Political scandals 4 Technology and cyberware 5 Human interest — the people’s stories 6 Whatever’s dangerous
Who's your backup?
d6 Backup 1 Solo bodyguard on retainer 2 Netrunner digging NET evidence 3 Another Media — safety in numbers 4 A Fixer feeding you leads 5 No one — you work alone 6 An Edgerunner crew (you’re embedded)
Who's gunning for you?
d6 Enemy 1 Corporation you exposed 2 Politician you embarrassed 3 Gang you reported on 4 Rival Media 5 Law enforcement (crossed the line) 6 Source who feels betrayed
🔗 Connections
Related Roles
- Rockerboy — Influence through art instead of facts
- Fixer — Information broker — your competitor and supplier
- Netrunner — Digs up digital evidence you can’t reach
World & Lore
- Media Lore — History and details of Medias in Night City