James Kirkup on BBC reporting on trans prisoners

YY.

Another amazing article. Thank you James Kirkup. But, like SingeBuggerBlack, I suspect the BBC, rather than being timid, is deliberately obfuscating the topic.

Perhaps James Kirkup can compare the ignorant and idiotic comments seemingly mostly by men under his Spectator article and the noticeably more intelligent and relevant comments (including many by women) under his tweet introducing the article.

Disappointed the comments are so mean but I'm often surprised by the low standard of Spectator comments. The same people seem to post inane drivel on everything.
Some complain it's an issue no-one is interested in yet his articles are usually in the "most popular" list.
If I'm not interested in something I don't read it and I definitely don't then waste time commenting on how I don't read articles on this issue as they don't interest me!

Vive la resistance

At least this sheds some light on the mindset of those in charge of the BBC that enabled Savile to carry on with his terrible behaviour for so long.

Also not on reality check twitter feed?

The BBC helped to create All About Trans which then helped to re-educate the BBC about what to report and how.

Isn’t there another point about the BBC analysis?

There are so many questions that need addressing as a result of the BBC foi request and so many possible reasons why almost half of the trans prison population are sex offenders. But the BBC didn't ask for the information to analyse it, they ask for it to prove fpfw wrong.

Makes me wonder what else they are hiding that doesn't fit their agenda.

Superb. Maybe newswatch will do it.

Thank you so much James. I hope I get the chance to buy you a drink some day

Oh, that tweet is just gorgeous, Kesstrel

Thank you James for all the hard work you are doing on this issue (I feel like I now say this on here on a more or less weekly basis).

really appreciated how many times the article managed to incorporate the fact that Cllr Murray called women "absolute c*s".

James has been obliged to correct this:

twitter.com/jameskirkup/status/1029780359389618176

Isn’t there another point about the BBC analysis?

Their argument/evasion relies on the fact that it is not known how many of the 60 transgender imprisoned sex offenders are female to male transgender.

But for the answer to this question to be of any statistical significance, the proportion of sex offenders among the female to male transgender prison population would have to be wildly in excess of the proportion of female prisoners as a whole who are sex offenders. This seems (as James Kirkup points out) very unlikely. There is nothing to suggest this is the case. But let’s say it were so- that the BBC’s assumption is correct. This would demonstrate female to male transgender people to be far more likely than non-transgender women to commit sex offences. Thereby suggesting an urgent new line of enquiry - what on earth might cause this worrying propensity for female to male transgender people to commit sex offences at rates completely unknown in the female population at large? Their male brains? Artificial hormones? Or something else?

What I’m trying to say - badly- is that the BBC analysis rests on an assumption which is unlikely; but if this assumption is indeed correct, it points to something so worrying that it is worthy of research in itself.

Excellent article.

I do wonder why the BBC are so timid when reporting non possitive news regarding trans individuals and as a group.

There is the suggestion in the piece that journalist don't want to come under fire from vocal tra groups, but surely they must be used to that? Lots of individuals and groups will be very vocal if the BBC report negative news, why are the BBC protecting tra so much?

Applause for JK (again)

If it were possible to re-subscribe to show my appreciation for his writing, I would

That's a good article that has put into words my increasing uneasy with BBC reporting on this issue.

Some of my friends at the BBC say the BBC is institutionally scared of criticism by vocal and eloquent trans-rights groups

There is growth in number of people not having any TV (or other services) and an increasingly high number of household paying for SKY or net flicks, amazon etc.

I'm not vocal but I look to the BBC for good news coverage decent documentaries and high quality children programs. I increasingly find the latter two with services we already pay extra for – and I’m noticing a massive bias in news reporting on this issues and it leaves me wondering what I’m not noticing.

I’m suddenly starting to wonder how valid a concept the TV licence is TBH (and yes BBC role in Jimmy Savile is at back of my mind as well)

Twitter isn’t the voting population and not everyone on twitter gets caught up in twitter storms though I think some politicians and some parts of media haven’t grasped that yet.

Me too heresy! (Re the "absolute c*s")

Thank you James and your editors at the Spectator.

I suspect someone, somewhere in the BBC is having a conversation about the Cliff Richard case being used by Carter Ruck/Jess Bradley.

Is this what James referenced? It could be 7 inch surprise also.

Thanks James - that is excellent. I read the original article and was agog by its implicit bias

Thank you James, excellent work as ever.
BBC, you really are hammering the nails into your own coffin.

I suspect someone, somewhere in the BBC is having a conversation about the Cliff Richard case being used by Carter Ruck/Jess Bradley.

Bit tricky this situation.

Actually scrap that, I suspect folk are studiously NOT talking about it....because by their not talking about it makes it go away, no?

MyVisionsComeFromSoup

Tara Hudson of 7 inch surprise fame is taking legal action against the MoJ.

Great article - what are the chances of it being discussed on R4 "Feedback" programme? Err ...none