After being forced to apologize to author J.K. Rowling in February of this year for unchallenged claims that referenced her as anti-trans, U.K. news giant BBC News is warning their presenters to tighten up regarding such accusations.
**Content warning for intentional misgendering.**
According to a 9-page internal briefing, “Reporting sex and gender,” obtained by Deadline, BBC News advised production teams and on-air talent to exercise care regarding the term and to challenge those who accuse others of it. This comes after Rowling, who has come under fire for her views on transgender issues, was accused of transphobia during a BBC Radio 4 segment featuring trans activist Stacey Henley. BBC News asserts that, by their standards, “[c]are is needed, for example with use of the term ‘transphobic’ to describe people who would not themselves accept that label.”
The circulation of this brief comes days after Tim Davie, the director general of the BBC, defended the network’s insistence on impartiality when reporting the news. In a press conference, Davie claimed the BBC has come under pressure to be impartial in its reporting. He also defended their choice not to label the U.K. political party Reform UK “far-right,” in a report. With the broadcaster’s desire to straddle the fence, and the stance they are taking on trans issues, particularly the handling of J.K. Rowling, the contents of this internal memo should come as no surprise.
On the other end of things, earlier this month, it was discovered that BBC presenter Justin Webb, one of the anchors for the radio show Today, broke “impartiality standards” during a debate because of how he chose to describe transgender women. Webb said, “… in other words, males.” A statement issued by the BBC cited their style guide, suggesting that the proper term to use should have been “biological male.”
I don’t know. Some—like the BBC’s own memo—might say the proper labels to apply are the ones the person in question has chosen to accept, and I don’t think either of those options fits that description. It seems that “impartiality” is selectively applied.
(featured image: Screenshot from YouTube)
