If you care about journalism, if you care about fairness, and you care about the truth, it should matter to you that "the paper of record" is constantly lying about trans people.
Thank you! I’ve been corresponding with a couple of the writers who are the worst offenders. They don’t seem to care that their journalism is slanted and hateful. Maybe a gig at the New York Times is worth your soul.
Thank you for sharing this. I thought I was alone in thinking the NYT was making it harder for me to parent my trans child. I’ve proudly signed the letter.
Thank you Parker. Your succinct & tart appraisal of you cover in this article horrifies me and saddens me. Yes, you are right - I too expect more AND better of the Times. That the editors & publisher fail us gives me pause. And I must say that I am equally disappointed with the slack and careless misidentification of both persons promoting and the intent of the repression & destruction of people, individual human beings, of any age or sex, who identify as trans, sickens and disgusts me far more than words can say. We are ALL worthy of respect and dignity as human beings regardless of sex, age or personal identification, and all equally deserving of appropriate & adequate necessary medical care regardless of sexual identity or identification. I am disappointed by the Times, and by the individual reporters and writers who have obfuscated the truth in these reported articles and writings. Your indignation & anger empower me to be more aware and to join you in your efforts here. Thank you.
Re: the idea you won’t work at these publications. I assume that right now these newspapers and magazines aren’t losing readers. They are becoming the only game in town as local news crumbles and consolidation happens. That helps a bit, I am sure. I note that readerships of newspapers skews old. I don’t know where this country is heading but I don’t think younger generations are amenable to a manipulative, simplistic, gatekeeping style of journalism. So even though we might be living in an unfree hellhole for some period of time I am skeptical that once various target audiences die off these forms of journalism will continue to be appealing (assuming the hellhole has a free press). Never say never in other words. You might be middle of the road and safe in comparison to the resentment they may engender after a time. You’re quite reasonable and extremely fair to alternative positions so they could do a lot worse.
(First time posting here, please be gentle, ok?-:)
Just proudly signed as well, with blistering comments. (I'll show them, right??)
Short version, I am mom of genz kids in Austin, Tx who have friends suffering and we are in total support of Trans rights and cannot figure out why this is not common sense? Why an issue? Where are the Trans journalists on national platforms? It is a travesty regarding MSM treatment of this issue and community.
It has been really unfathomable and frustrating for me to watch the insane degree of abuse directed at trans people and their right to exist via recent legislation and politicians and through places like the NYT. What NYT is doing is arguably worse than the blatant transphobia from the likes of Tucker, Walsh, Shapiro, etc. One, because they are framing it as a reasonable asking of questions as opposed to blatant vitriol. And two, because the NYT has an air of credibility to it, people view it as a respected, neutral, mainstream institution. Of course, they have made plenty of editorial mistakes and been on the wrong side of things in the past (iraq war, hillary's emails), and they seem destined not to learn. Things seem to have not gotten better recently under Sulzberger and Bennett, as there is such a reflexive defiance to any criticism they perceive as coming from the left, as well as an obsession with platforming lukewarm, tired, mediocre, reactionary op-ed writers. The response to the letter proves that what they are doing can only be described as willful ignorance.
This also just beckons a very obvious yet important discussion about the idea of bias and neutrality in journalism. Like the whole attitude here is / is going to be that this coverage is somehow normal and the letter -- literally asking them to be MORE journalistic, not less -- is and of itself a form of bias. It's very clear that what is considered objective and neutral is clearly just the skewed opinions of powerful, rich, white men, often very much aligned with protecting power and / or the status quo. Idk if NYT is just continuing to try to appeal to avoid claims of bias from them (just like every mainstream institution) or if its just run by bad people or both, but it's just unacceptable and dangerous to be spreading this kind of propaganda.
Anyway, I signed the letter, this whole saga is awful, I'm sorry Parker and we are all here standing with you to support you.
Great, informative letter, happy to sign it. Especially loved the comparison of trans panic to the gay panic of the not-so-distant past. Poor Mrs. Sulzberger! I bet her rich friends disinvited her to parties because of all those nasty queers being reported on in her son's "paper of record."
Signed, as a supporter -- and reader of NYT stories, although I read it a lot less these days than I used to because the decline in their journalistic standards means more articles that make me frustrated and angry.
I don't know if you've seen The Onion's response to the NY Times coverage of trans issues. The Onion's fictional parodies often contain a great deal of truth.
Sorry I'm late to the game, but I just signed the letter. The damage that NYT is causing to young (and old) trans lives is undeniably fatal for many of us, especially in jurisdictions where the Times's supposed credibility has given cover to horrifying legislation.
You can't "both sides" our right to exist, you neoliberal stooges.
Makes me think about that Some More News video about moral panics that you posted about recently. I bet if you went back and looked at the Times' 50s-era coverage of the Scourge of Switchblades, you'd find 15,000 words from "concerned parents" and police. I bring this up because some have asked "Well, isn't a good thing they're covering this issue?" as if news coverage (and more of it) is always a positive ("responding to lies with facts" is the phrase I've heard.)
When you're in a moral panic, news coverage isn't attempting to tamp down the hysteria, it's fanning the flames, knowing that's what sells papers (or generates clicks these days.) Oh, but that's just me being cynical again.
Thank you! I’ve been corresponding with a couple of the writers who are the worst offenders. They don’t seem to care that their journalism is slanted and hateful. Maybe a gig at the New York Times is worth your soul.
I just signed. Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you for sharing this. I thought I was alone in thinking the NYT was making it harder for me to parent my trans child. I’ve proudly signed the letter.
Thank you Parker. Your succinct & tart appraisal of you cover in this article horrifies me and saddens me. Yes, you are right - I too expect more AND better of the Times. That the editors & publisher fail us gives me pause. And I must say that I am equally disappointed with the slack and careless misidentification of both persons promoting and the intent of the repression & destruction of people, individual human beings, of any age or sex, who identify as trans, sickens and disgusts me far more than words can say. We are ALL worthy of respect and dignity as human beings regardless of sex, age or personal identification, and all equally deserving of appropriate & adequate necessary medical care regardless of sexual identity or identification. I am disappointed by the Times, and by the individual reporters and writers who have obfuscated the truth in these reported articles and writings. Your indignation & anger empower me to be more aware and to join you in your efforts here. Thank you.
Re: the idea you won’t work at these publications. I assume that right now these newspapers and magazines aren’t losing readers. They are becoming the only game in town as local news crumbles and consolidation happens. That helps a bit, I am sure. I note that readerships of newspapers skews old. I don’t know where this country is heading but I don’t think younger generations are amenable to a manipulative, simplistic, gatekeeping style of journalism. So even though we might be living in an unfree hellhole for some period of time I am skeptical that once various target audiences die off these forms of journalism will continue to be appealing (assuming the hellhole has a free press). Never say never in other words. You might be middle of the road and safe in comparison to the resentment they may engender after a time. You’re quite reasonable and extremely fair to alternative positions so they could do a lot worse.
(First time posting here, please be gentle, ok?-:)
Just proudly signed as well, with blistering comments. (I'll show them, right??)
Short version, I am mom of genz kids in Austin, Tx who have friends suffering and we are in total support of Trans rights and cannot figure out why this is not common sense? Why an issue? Where are the Trans journalists on national platforms? It is a travesty regarding MSM treatment of this issue and community.
It has been really unfathomable and frustrating for me to watch the insane degree of abuse directed at trans people and their right to exist via recent legislation and politicians and through places like the NYT. What NYT is doing is arguably worse than the blatant transphobia from the likes of Tucker, Walsh, Shapiro, etc. One, because they are framing it as a reasonable asking of questions as opposed to blatant vitriol. And two, because the NYT has an air of credibility to it, people view it as a respected, neutral, mainstream institution. Of course, they have made plenty of editorial mistakes and been on the wrong side of things in the past (iraq war, hillary's emails), and they seem destined not to learn. Things seem to have not gotten better recently under Sulzberger and Bennett, as there is such a reflexive defiance to any criticism they perceive as coming from the left, as well as an obsession with platforming lukewarm, tired, mediocre, reactionary op-ed writers. The response to the letter proves that what they are doing can only be described as willful ignorance.
This also just beckons a very obvious yet important discussion about the idea of bias and neutrality in journalism. Like the whole attitude here is / is going to be that this coverage is somehow normal and the letter -- literally asking them to be MORE journalistic, not less -- is and of itself a form of bias. It's very clear that what is considered objective and neutral is clearly just the skewed opinions of powerful, rich, white men, often very much aligned with protecting power and / or the status quo. Idk if NYT is just continuing to try to appeal to avoid claims of bias from them (just like every mainstream institution) or if its just run by bad people or both, but it's just unacceptable and dangerous to be spreading this kind of propaganda.
Anyway, I signed the letter, this whole saga is awful, I'm sorry Parker and we are all here standing with you to support you.
Great, informative letter, happy to sign it. Especially loved the comparison of trans panic to the gay panic of the not-so-distant past. Poor Mrs. Sulzberger! I bet her rich friends disinvited her to parties because of all those nasty queers being reported on in her son's "paper of record."
“You can read and add your name to it as a Times contributor, supporter, or reader …”
I’m happy to sign, but I’m none of those things.
Signed, as a supporter -- and reader of NYT stories, although I read it a lot less these days than I used to because the decline in their journalistic standards means more articles that make me frustrated and angry.
I don't know if you've seen The Onion's response to the NY Times coverage of trans issues. The Onion's fictional parodies often contain a great deal of truth.
https://www.theonion.com/it-is-journalism-s-sacred-duty-to-endanger-the-lives-of-1850126997
Sorry I'm late to the game, but I just signed the letter. The damage that NYT is causing to young (and old) trans lives is undeniably fatal for many of us, especially in jurisdictions where the Times's supposed credibility has given cover to horrifying legislation.
You can't "both sides" our right to exist, you neoliberal stooges.
Makes me think about that Some More News video about moral panics that you posted about recently. I bet if you went back and looked at the Times' 50s-era coverage of the Scourge of Switchblades, you'd find 15,000 words from "concerned parents" and police. I bring this up because some have asked "Well, isn't a good thing they're covering this issue?" as if news coverage (and more of it) is always a positive ("responding to lies with facts" is the phrase I've heard.)
When you're in a moral panic, news coverage isn't attempting to tamp down the hysteria, it's fanning the flames, knowing that's what sells papers (or generates clicks these days.) Oh, but that's just me being cynical again.