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A thread about a small thing that is actually a very big thing indeed, and highlights perfectly how the UK media distorts any news about trans people at its very core...
Please stay with this...
Please stay with this...
One weekly burden, which i regard as a necessary but hateful task is to pull together the news feed for @TransMediaWatch .
It's a real curate's egg of a job. Some of what i have to engage with is disgusting. Some is relatively positive.
It's a real curate's egg of a job. Some of what i have to engage with is disgusting. Some is relatively positive.
It also means i get to be quite sensitive to media nuance...to spot when and how UK media are twisting trans news.
Like the quite awful Guardian snipe at #TDOV.
It's a piece that makes a valid point. Except when you are the Guardian, such a snipe cannot be read "plain".
Like the quite awful Guardian snipe at #TDOV.
It's a piece that makes a valid point. Except when you are the Guardian, such a snipe cannot be read "plain".
And today, i came across an instance utterly shameless in its transphobia, courtesy of the Daily Mail, it quite took my breath away
Except it is buried so deep, so subtly, most readers would never know.
Apologies...i am going to link to the DM...
Except it is buried so deep, so subtly, most readers would never know.
Apologies...i am going to link to the DM...
So here's a piece picked up in the latest news feed trawl. Don't bother reading...you can guess: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9426421/Transgender-woman-51-sent-male-prison-stabbing-boyfriend-ex-lover.html
It is the story of an evil trans woman who stabbed various people and now - such glee! - is not going to a female prison.
In many ways, so ordinary as DM content.
But hang on...
In many ways, so ordinary as DM content.
But hang on...
Here's another DM story, and in this case the victim is a trans woman: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9351791/Convicted-armed-robber-jailed-life-murdering-hero-LGBT-community.html
Let's kick off with the picture selection. Notice anything?
Ah yes...
In BOTH pieces, the lead pic is that of a trans woman. Not in itself damning, as the DM seems to split almost 50/50 between pics of victim and perp in the lead position.
But...
Ah yes...
In BOTH pieces, the lead pic is that of a trans woman. Not in itself damning, as the DM seems to split almost 50/50 between pics of victim and perp in the lead position.
But...
Note the pic caption...
"Martin Saberi, 55, was on licence after serving 16 years for robbery when he killed Amy Griffiths (pictured) "
So, strictly speaking, that is a "get out of jail free" card for the DM. They have defo id'd the victim in the pic.
Except...
"Martin Saberi, 55, was on licence after serving 16 years for robbery when he killed Amy Griffiths (pictured) "
So, strictly speaking, that is a "get out of jail free" card for the DM. They have defo id'd the victim in the pic.
Except...
This isn't how they usually do pic captions. Usually it's
"Name (pictured) was on their way home when x happened"
That makes sense. 'cause if the first name under a picture is NOT the name of the person, it doesn't matter that you put the name up later...
Some will miss it
"Name (pictured) was on their way home when x happened"
That makes sense. 'cause if the first name under a picture is NOT the name of the person, it doesn't matter that you put the name up later...
Some will miss it
In fact, you need to do a LOT of work in this piece to discover that the victim was a trans woman.
First, because they identify her first and foremost both in the headline and in the opening pars as "a hero of the LGBT community".
Good stuff, eh? Except it hides her identity
First, because they identify her first and foremost both in the headline and in the opening pars as "a hero of the LGBT community".
Good stuff, eh? Except it hides her identity
The first mention of "transgender", both in headline and in copy is that killer and victim met on a "transgender dating site".
Was it? Or was it an ordinary site that allowed trans people admission?
Was it? Or was it an ordinary site that allowed trans people admission?
Ach. Thread broke...if you've come down this leg, please continue with: https://twitter.com/JaneFae/status/1381214394445672452
