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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Complaint over panellist calling JK Rowling 'transphobic' upheld by Broadcasting Authority of Ireland

46 replies

miri1985 · 14/04/2021 15:57

www.thejournal.ie/jk-rowling-bai-complaint-5409272-Apr2021/

"The complainant put forward that a contributor called Rowling transphobic without evidence and that this statement was not challenged by anyone else appearing on the programme.

This complaint was upheld in a decision released today by the BAI.

The remarks – in which Rowling was called a “transphobic bigot” – were made during a panel discussion on Today FM’s The Last Word with Matt Cooper last September.

Rowling, author of the Harry Potter novels, has been criticised in the past for her commentary on gender identity."

"On 18 September 2020, the radio panel discussed tweets from Jedward in which they criticised celebrities for comments about Covid-19 and face masks.

The panel also mentioned tweets from Jedward about JK Rowling, which is how the ‘transphobic’ remark arose.

The BAI complainant said this statement wasn’t challenged by the presenter or the other panellists and that they believe this is a “very serious accusation”. "

"The BAI said The Last Word programme is “generally understood” to be a current affairs programme which is required to be fair to all interests concerned and to be presented in an objective and impartial manner.

“The Committee were of the view that, given the seriousness of the statements made by the panel member, and the lack of challenge by the presenter, the broadcast was not fair,” the BAI said in its decision."

Fair play to whoever complained, just goes to show that complaints like that matter

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BraveBananaBadge · 14/04/2021 16:03

Oh that is good! I was really dismayed that something similar recently happened on the New Yorker Radio Hour podcast - not their style at all - as part of a curious hatchet job on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It felt as if it deserved a complaint - it may still be worth doing.

Womansisterdaughtermother · 14/04/2021 16:10

Thanks miri for posting... I wonder will this get any coverage in msm....

OhHolyJesus · 14/04/2021 17:17

I would love to see a whole bunch of court cases and see each and every one of those accusing JKR to explain their reasons for their personally held opinions to be justified in libelling her.

Important to see this come from broadcast media though and yes let's see if after all that coverage the BBC have this back in 2019 they put this on the news website.

And let's see if fringe media PN put it out too. 🧐

peak2021 · 14/04/2021 17:22

Thank you for sharing this. At least the Irish have a media complaints process worthy of the name.

stumbledin · 14/04/2021 18:23

How JKR keeps going in the face of this constant abuse is amazing.

So good to know that for once people have seen sense.

Star
StillAFemale · 14/04/2021 18:27

Good on the complainant

Sophoclesthefox · 14/04/2021 18:31

Brilliant news.

Next time I hear her name getting dragged through the mud on mainstream media, I will complain.

I am so, so fed up of the pitiful level of public discourse, not just on this topic, but everywhere that is content just to shitfling and name call, rather than engage with actual ideas and discuss them like adults.

nauticant · 14/04/2021 18:32

It's all about steering part of the debate into fora which are set up to make decisions based on evidence. At that point the TRAs get asked "where's your evidence to support your claim?" and then things start falling apart.

IDanielRadcliffe · 14/04/2021 18:59

I am so, so fed up of the pitiful level of public discourse, not just on this topic, but everywhere that is content just to shitfling and name call, rather than engage with actual ideas and discuss them like adults.

Agreed.

Thank you to whoever complained.

elgreco · 14/04/2021 19:03

Thrilled

LucysSkyDiamonds · 14/04/2021 19:53

Just read the article, great decision. Interesting they don't say who the panelist who made the accusation was.

Genesis1v27 · 14/04/2021 20:19

@LucysSkyDiamonds

Just read the article, great decision. Interesting they don't say who the panelist who made the accusation was.
mobile.twitter.com/ais2o2/status/1307623382700171267 says it was Roe McDermott.
saltedcaramelchocolate · 14/04/2021 20:31

Strange that there are no comments under that journal.ie article.

LucysSkyDiamonds · 14/04/2021 20:44

Roe McDermott

Colour me stunned.

MiddleMary · 14/04/2021 20:44

Podcast link is still there but podcast itself is gone.

Complaint over panellist calling JK Rowling 'transphobic' upheld by Broadcasting Authority of Ireland
ArabellaScott · 14/04/2021 21:03

Good.

Datun · 14/04/2021 21:24

I would love to see a whole bunch of court cases and see each and every one of those accusing JKR to explain their reasons for their personally held opinions to be justified in libelling her.

Me too.

There could be thousands.

SunsetBeetch · 14/04/2021 21:32

Wow that's great. I'm very surprised.

YouNoob · 14/04/2021 21:40

That's good. Well done to whoever complained. I'd like to see something like that over here.

Womansisterdaughtermother · 14/04/2021 23:08

www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2021/0414/1209943-jk-rowling-bai-complaint/

Soontobe60 · 14/04/2021 23:09

I was just about to post this! I’m amazed that this was upheld considering Ireland seem to think that women are second class citizens and therefore would stick up for males - Jedward - over females - JKR.
Every time we see or hear this nonsense we should put in a formal complaint. I send one in to the BBC last year about a R4 interview with some comedian who kept going on about ‘everyone knows that TWAW’ and therefore JKR was being transphobic. I didn’t even get a reply.

Womansisterdaughtermother · 14/04/2021 23:12

Only noticing OPs linked journal.ie article now! Yes no comments open... Quelle surprise

YouNoob · 14/04/2021 23:27

I send one in to the BBC last year about a R4 interview with some comedian who kept going on about ‘everyone knows that TWAW’ and therefore JKR was being transphobic. I didn’t even get a reply.

Yes, that's happened to me too where I complained about something to the BBC and I didn't get a reply either. There must be a mechanism for us make sure that our views are being seen and addressed.

weewitch · 14/04/2021 23:27

Great to hear - well done to whoever made the complain.

miri1985 · 14/04/2021 23:41

@Womansisterdaughtermother

Only noticing OPs linked journal.ie article now! Yes no comments open... Quelle surprise
Whenever the journal don't have comments open but I still want to see what the reaction to it is, I tend to look at reddit. Theres actually a somewhat nuanced discussion about the article going on on r/ireland

www.reddit.com/r/ireland/comments/mqq96e/complaint_over_radio_panellist_calling_jk_rowling/

Hadn't known before reading there that it was Roe McDermott who made the comments, what a family!

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