Tell a Journalist What You Think

Some polite objections might make a difference

We covered the horrific story of assault by a trans-identified male on a female middle school student at Pennbrook Middle School. While the city media has moved on, local journalists are still covering the case.

This is a pretty good story from last month by Bucks County Courier Times journalist Jo Ciavaglia, but it refers to the male perpetrator as a she, thereby implying that this was some kind of a “catfight” between two girls and not male-on-female violence. That is inaccurate, and we’ll wager she knows it.

She works for a large company called Gannett, and we’re betting she’s required by them to hide that the perpetrator was male.

Still, we think it’s worth reaching out to her and trying to reason with her.

Here’s her email: jciavaglia@gannett.com

And here’s a sample letter you may adapt as you like.

Dear Ms. Ciavaglia,

Thank you for your detailed investigation into the North Penn Stanley Cup assault. The city media will have long moved on to other things while outlets like The Bucks County Courier Times continue to hold the district and its administrators accountable.

However, I want to ask you to reconsider hiding the fact that the perpetrator is a trans-identified male in your stories by referring to him as a she. I understand that many journalists have been pressured into portraying “trans women as women.” However, statistics overwhelmingly show that males do not become less capable of violence once they start identifying as women. In fact, many males with paraphiliac sexual fetishes are more likely to assault females rather than less likely. You can read accounts of these assaults on the independent media outlet https://reduxx.info.

It is not hateful to acknowledge that males statistically pose a threat to females. In fact, it’s important for your readers to know that this was not some “catfight” between girls but a violent male attacking a female. If you are worried about backlash, I suggest you simply avoid using pronouns altogether in your stories. I certainly understand that the trans movement is brutal on anyone who doesn’t accept its tenets and that you might face dire consequences if you don’t hide that this was male-on-female violence. Still, I am asking you to consider your obligation to the truth.

I don’t have a billion-dollar lobby behind me, and I’m just a woman who is concerned about journalistic accuracy and the bizarre hold the trans movement has on the media. Again, I’m asking you to consider your responsibility toward accuracy and to be fair to women and girls in your coverage.

Sincerely,