Journalists Should Not Use the Term “Assigned Sex at Birth” When Covering Transgender Issues

A political-activist term misappropriated from the intersex context, it sticks a thumb on the scale regarding a contested legal issue about which reporters should strive to observe neutrality.

Source: Grok

In its contribution to the media coverage of Bari Weiss’s young tenure at the helm of CBS News, The Guardian reported this week about a recent dust-up among CBS staffers over the proper terms to use when covering transgender issues.

Noting this was an example of “cultural clashes on issues that align with” Ms. Weiss’ “worldview,” The Guardian reported:

A prominent correspondent at the network wrote in an email…that CBS “should refrain from adopting terminology advocated by the movement”, referring to guidance from the Trans Journalists Association’s stylebook about how to use the phrase “biological sex”.

This didn’t go over well with a CBS producer, who responded angrily: “It’s a TJA style ‘guide’ – that’s what I’m trying to do. Guide us to better coverage.”

If indeed CBS seeks to produce journalism without fear or favor about highly contested subjects of national importance, the correspondent was correct about the path to better coverage. Much of the nomenclature that the tra…