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The War on Words — Unpacking the Battle Over Trans Rights in Journalism

Reproduced with kind permission by @mimmymum.



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Apr 15, 2024


Janice Turner’s intensely transphobic rhetoric in her latest Times article

In a world teetering on the brink of misinformation wars, the media’s portrayal of transgender issues has become a battlefield, where every word can serve as a weapon. The recent article, “Cass was a skirmish, now prepare for a war,” by resident ‘gender critical’ transphobe, Janice Turner, epitomises a shocking campaign against transgender people, particularly targeting vulnerable trans youth with what many experts deem as harmful rhetoric.

A Linguistic Battlefield

The choice of words in the article is not just unfortunate; it’s strategic and entirely intentional. Employing militaristic metaphors like “skirmish” and “war” sets a battleground, framing the complex issue of trans rights as a conflict to be won or lost. This isn’t just poor taste; it’s a masterclass in framing theory gone rogue. George Lakoff and Mark Johnson in their seminal work, “Metaphors We Live By,” explained how metaphors not only shape our communication but also our actions and thoughts. When the media frames trans issues as a “war”, it invites divisiveness and hostility rather than understanding and discourse. With a track record stretching over six years of intensely transphobic articles, these metaphors are selected to create aggression towards an embattled community comprising less than 1% of the UK population.

Even more egregious is the description of gender-affirming surgeries as “bodily mutilations,” a phrase chillingly out of sync with the medical and ethical standards upheld by health professionals worldwide, but frequently used by aggressive ‘gender critical’ transphobes determined to generate as much disgust and controversy towards trans people that they can. Such language is a stark departure from the terms recommended by reputable organisations like GLAAD and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), which use “gender-affirming surgeries” to describe these medically necessary and often life-saving procedures. It is clearly not the intention to either respect or elicit any sort of compassion towards the trans population, but rather to slap the reader around the face with excessively violent rhetoric in the hope that the physical recoil will be attributed to the subject matter (trans people) rather than the author.

Malevolent Comms Strategies

A deep dive into criticisms of the modern media reveals this isn’t a one-off. The pattern of negative coverage surrounding trans issues by Janice Turner suggests a systematic approach, reminiscent of the media strategies discussed in James O’Brien’s “How Not To Be Wrong: The Art of Changing Your Mind”, where he uncovers how public opinions are formed and influenced by what they consume from the media and how repetition can shape public perception. Here, much like with the right-wing portrayal of migrants, gay people in the 80s, and Muslim people, the frequent depiction of transgender rights in a negative light is similarly crafting a societal bias against a marginalised community. This is intentional and entirely driven by a combination of ideological bigotry on the part of the writer, and financial greed from the publisher seeking ad income generated by outrage clicks.


Flouting Ethical Journalism

This brings us to the crux of the issue: ethical journalism. The Society of Professional Journalists outlines principles that stress minimising harm — a directive seemingly ignored in the article. By choosing sensationalism over sensitivity, the piece actively perpetuates misinformation and stigma against transgender individuals, contravening the journalistic duty to inform and educate without bias.

Moreover, the independence of journalism is called into question when articles align so closely with specific trans-hostile ‘gender critical’ activist agendas. This alignment undermines the credibility of the press and has turned the mainstream UK news platforms into puppets of propaganda rather than pillars of truth. At the centre of it all is The Times, and one of the key anti-trans lobbying journalists, Janice Turner. Using her privileged platform as a columnist to propagate her trans-hostile ideological propaganda with zero accountability or push-back.


The Science of Influence

Academics like Robert Entman and Noam Chomsky have long warned about the power of media framing. Entman’s theory suggests that the way issues are presented in media can influence public opinion by highlighting certain aspects while omitting others, thereby shaping policy and perceptions. In this case, the relentless framing of trans people as a societal threat rather than a human, and deserving of human rights, reflects a dangerous bias, steering public opinion towards intolerance and misunderstanding. This intended influence on the public’s perception of trans people is part of a wider goal by ‘gender critical’ transphobes — to create a hostile environment for trans people, those who support them, in the hope that they will hide themselves away and just ‘disappear’. More than that, and on a simpler level, privileged, entitled ‘gender critical’ transphobes just want to ‘win’ the argument. After being called out for their bigotry, they have doubled-down rather than apologising for their initial infraction, favouring their pride, over humility and personal growth.


The Propaganda Playbook

The parallels with historical propaganda techniques are stark and disturbing. Edward Bernays in “Propaganda” discussed the orchestration of public opinion through strategic communication efforts, a playbook that seems to resonate with the tactics seen in Janice Turner’s columns and Times articles more widely. By consistently portraying trans rights negatively, they have sought to sway public perception, fostering a climate of fear and resistance against what is essentially a fight for equality and recognition. Some may ask the question “why?” The Times would be interested in tearing down such a tiny and already marginalised community. Maybe it’s because the topic of trans people have become ‘click bait’ and generate advertising income? Maybe it’s because trans topics offer a suitable ‘dead cat’ distraction to the continual failings of The Times Tory party benefactors? Or, maybe it’s because key members of the senior journalistic and dictatorial team have a personal vendetta against trans people after a trans woman — the ex-editor of the Times Scotland edition — took them to court for unfair dismissal citing the inordinate level of transphobia in the work environment? I can imagine the seething that happened when they were summoned up to a Scottish court to give evidence, and the need to “make someone pay” as retaliation… And the trans community are certainly paying now!


The Road to Reformation

So, what must be done? It’s time for a new Enlightenment in journalism — a return to the principles of truth, fairness, and ethical reporting. Media outlets must scrutinise their language, framing, and the implications of their narratives. It’s not just about avoiding harm; it’s about promoting understanding and protecting the rights of all individuals, regardless of their gender identity.

This isn’t just a skirmish over terminology or the ethics of journalism. It’s a broader battle for the soul of our media landscape, where the stakes are nothing less than the dignity and rights of individuals. The media’s weapon of choice should not be words that wound but words that heal, educate, and bring us closer to the truth. Unfortunately, it would seem that The Times — and the majority of other mainstream UK newspapers — have no interest in informing or educating the public. And they gave up holding truth to power a long time ago, instead concocting a bizarre alternate reality where black is white, aggressors are victims, and somehow one of the most marginalised sectors of society is an all-powerful ‘trans lobby’!


Abuse of power

In dissecting Janice Turner’s latest hit piece against the trans community, it’s clear that the battleground is not just in the medical clinics, school classrooms, or legislative halls of power; it’s crucially, in the columns of our newspapers that filter down to the posts and conversations on our screens. As guardians of information, journalists wield immense power in shaping societal norms and values. They have the might to alter elections, topple powerful and bring justice to royalty and untouchable businessmen. Yet, in the UK in 2024, the might of this powerful institution has almost wholly been obsessively targeted on trans people, with an inordinate focus on trans kids. The responsibility of our media to wield their power wisely cannot be overstated, for the impact of their words extends far beyond the morning news — it echoes in the lives of countless individuals, shaping their reality, rights, and lives in profound ways.

My name is Helen, some of you will know me from Twitter as @mimmymum — a cis feminist, the mum of a trans son, and a fierce trans ally. I’ve been monitoring trans discourse on social media, mainstream media, and elsewhere for the last six years, and have had many conversations with trans people, experts and allies over the years on multiple topics impacting trans people — all with the overarching intention of making the world a better place for trans and gender-diverse people.

During my conversations, study and musings I have often wondered how transphobes actually become radicalised into transphobia, as a prelude to what can be done to stop this seeming tsunami of transphobic hate growing in multiple Western English-speaking countries. This, and previous articles, are my attempt at answering that question and figuring out how to tackle it. This is not an academic paper, but one borne out of informed observation, critical questioning and an interest in what makes people tick.

As with all of my conversations around this topic, I open my thoughts up to conversation and critique and welcome polite discourse and feedback. If you do wish to engage, you are more likely to get a response from me on Twitter.

Transgender

Journalism

Media

Propaganda

Politics


Written by Mimmymum

130 Followers

Passionate about acceptance for #transgender people & #trans kids 🏳️‍⚧️ equality & making the world a better place🌍 Inclusive cis feminist ⚧ #WithTheT



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