We need responsible journalism in the coverage of transgender athletes

“Given recent and often sensationalist media coverage of the issue, it’s easy to overlook the fact that transgender athletes have participated in elite sport for decades – at least as far back as tennis player Renée Richards competing in in the 1976 US Open.”

A group of researchers have looked into the media coverage of transgender participation in sports and published a peer reviewed article and a book about the topic.

They have in particular looked into the written media coverage surrounding New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard’s qualification and participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (photo).

In an article in The Conversation they make some interesting points:

We found that despite helpful media guides produced by LGBTQI+ organisations such as Athlete Ally, GLAAD and the Trans Journalists Association, much of the coverage continued to repeat old patterns, including the use of problematic language such as “deadnaming” (using a pre-transition name).
Overall, our study revealed a common framing of the topic as a “legitimate controversy” (a term coined by communications scholar Daniel Hallin in his analysis of media coverage of the Vietnam War).
The significant majority of media in our sample framed Hubbard’s inclusion in polarising “for or against” terms, and explicitly and implicitly narrated her Olympic inclusion and participation as highly questionable, and the topic as open for public debate.

I have noted that a lot of journalists think that a “balanced journalism” means that whatever extremist absurdities one part in a conflict presents, fairness means that both parties get equal time and space to present their views. That is not what good journalism is about. Good journalism goes critically into a topic, analyzes the processes that have caused the conflict, and – above all – reveals abuse of power and the harassment of marginalized groups.

The research shows that what has been lacking in much media coverage is a sense of Hubbard’s humanity and her own experiences of her athletic career.

The researchers conclude that we need responsible journalism that “considers the complexities of the subject, engages critically with science, and respects and values the voices and lived experiences of transgender athletes and those from the wider transgender community.”

The researchers are:

Holly Thorpe, Professor in Sociology of Sport and Physical Culture, University of Waikato
Jaimie Veale Senior Lecturer in Psychology; Director, Transgender Health Research Lab, University of Waikato
Monica Nelson. PhD Candidate, University of Waikato
Shannon Scovel, PhD Candidate, University of Maryland