Polariserende, opsigtsvækkende mediedækning af transkønnede atleter bør ophøre. Vores forskning viser en vej frem

I betragtning af den seneste og ofte sensationelle mediedækning af emnet, er det let at overse det faktum, at transkønnede atleter har deltaget i elitesport i årtier – i hvert fald så langt tilbage som tennisspilleren Renée Richards, der konkurrerede i 1976 U.S. Open.

Transkønnede atleter har også været i stand til at konkurrere ved de olympiske lege siden 2004. Men i det seneste år har synligheden af ​​transkønnede kvindelige atleter som den newzealandske vægtløfter Laurel Hubbard og den amerikanske svømmer Lia Thomas udløst betydelig medieinteresse og offentlig debat.

Senest har det internationale vandsportsforbund FINA udgivet en ny politik, der kun vil tillade transkønnede kvindelige atleter, der er skiftet før de fyldte 12, at deltage i internationale elitesvømmekonkurrencer. Nogle har kaldt politikken trans-ekskluderende og en "uacceptabel udhuling af kropslig autonomi."

Det er klart, at emnet rejser kritiske spørgsmål om kategorisering af køn, køn og sport, hvilket kræver komplekse argumenter og nuanceret forståelse af transkønnede spørgsmål. Mediedækning kan imidlertid formulere disse spørgsmål i stærkt oppositionelle termer, hvilket antyder, at der kun er to sider af debatten (for eller imod inklusion), og at "retfærdighed" og "inklusion" er uforenelige.

Vores forskning, offentliggjort i denne uge (og i en kommende bog, Justice for Trans Athletes:Challenges and Struggles), antyder, at nyhedsmedier ikke er neutrale i deres rapportering af disse spørgsmål, og at de spiller en stærk rolle i at ændre offentlighedens opfattelse og forme politik vedrørende transkønnede folks deltagelse i sport.

Beslutningstidspunkt:hvorfor sport kæmper for at håndtere transkønnede rækker | Sean Ingle https://t.co/rcwrN7BAsK

— Guardian Australia (@GuardianAus) 21. juni 2022

Sprog, indramning og stemme

For at undersøge dette analyserede vi den skriftlige mediedækning omkring den newzealandske vægtløfter Laurel Hubbards kvalifikation og deltagelse i OL i Tokyo i 2020. Vi undersøgte 620 engelsksprogede artikler på tværs af tre tidsperioder, fra annonceringen af ​​hendes kvalifikation, under legene og efter begivenheden.

Med udgangspunkt i tidligere forskning i mediedækning af transkønnede startede vi med at etablere en sproglig "kodebog", der inkluderede kategorier såsom inklusion, retfærdighed, forkert kønsfordeling og medicinske overgangsdetaljer.

For det andet oprettede vi underkategorier baseret på indholdstone og underforstået betydning, kodning for hver taler i en given artikel.

Vi fandt ud af, at på trods af hjælpsomme medievejledninger produceret af LGBTQI+-organisationer såsom Athlete Ally, GLAAD og Trans Journalists Association, fortsatte meget af dækningen med at gentage gamle mønstre, herunder brugen af ​​problematisk sprogbrug såsom "deadname" (ved brug af en pre-transition). navn).

Samlet set afslørede vores undersøgelse en fælles indramning af emnet som en "legitim kontrovers" (et udtryk opfundet af kommunikationsforsker Daniel Hallin i sin analyse af mediedækningen af ​​Vietnamkrigen).

Det betydelige flertal af medierne i vores stik indrammede Hubbards inklusion i polariserende "for eller imod"-termer og beskrev eksplicit og implicit hendes olympiske inklusion og deltagelse som yderst tvivlsom, og emnet som åbent for offentlig debat.

Et af de mere sensationelle stykker hævdede, at hendes deltagelse ville være en "forfærdelig fejltagelse, der ødelægger kvinders ret til ligestilling og retfærdighed - og vil dræbe den olympiske drøm for kvindelige atleter."

Nuancer og kompleksitet

Most reports, however, took a less extreme approach, instead presenting the details of Hubbard's life—her transition and how she met IOC criteria—in a way that invited the audience to take a position on her inclusion.

But while selectively seeking and using quotes from advocates and opponents might be perceived as balanced and good journalistic practice, it also risks stifling a more nuanced dialogue. Some media sources even used public polling, further framing this as a debate that everyone—regardless of expertise—should join.

Although Hubbard's view was often included in the form of prepared statements from press releases or quotes from older interviews, she was presented as just one voice—not necessarily an important one—in the debate about her own inclusion.

Our 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. In essence, she was denied the one thing she ever asked of the media:"to be treated the way that other athletes have been treated."

Scientists' views were given the most credence, particularly those focused narrowly on the effects of testosterone. Journalists rarely acknowledged that the scientific community itself is divided, or that research on this subject remains contested, with little focusing specifically on trans women athletes.

Previous research has demonstrated the psychological harm, including stress and depression, done by negative or stereotypical media depictions of transgender people. This includes framing their participation in society and sport as "up for debate" or "out of place."

Ethical and responsible reporting

However, a few journalists in our sample adopted more ethical approaches in their reporting on Hubbard's inclusion. We interviewed several, who spoke of their efforts to further educate themselves and to limit harmful rhetoric. As one American sports journalist explained:"In general, this notion that journalists serve their audience by just 'here's both sides, you decide' is a fallacy. It is our job to try to sort through some of this, where there is disproportionate harm, disproportionate blame."

Another Australian journalist spoke of the need for more nuanced coverage:"I wish that there was more of a will inside the media to expand the conversation […] to paint the complexities. But unfortunately […] everything is a very quick response, often with no foundation or research, no time given to it. [So] the temptation is you just go for the headline. And I think that's where the media is failing a lot of these more complex discussions."

We also acknowledge how challenging this issue is to write about well, accurately, non-sensationally and constructively. This is similarly experienced by many academics.

To move this conversation forward productively will require 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. + Udforsk yderligere

Transgender athletes:Balancing the debate between science, performance and human rights

Denne artikel er genudgivet fra The Conversation under en Creative Commons-licens. Læs den originale artikel.