A couple of weeks ago the International Rugby League announced that, pending further research, male players (specifically trans women) would be barred from international women's competition. It was reported on the BBC website with a headline saying that transgender players were being excluded. There was some discussion on a thread here, which I can't find now, but anyway I was among those who complained about the inaccuracy of the headline, and I have now got an email back saying this:
Many thanks for contacting us about our report covering news that transgender players have been banned from women's rugby league internationals (www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/61875651).
While the scope of the ban has been made clear throughout the article, we do agree that the initial headline of the piece could have been clearer in informing readers that the ban only applied to women’s internationals. As such, we’ve updated the headline of the piece to the following:
‘Transgender players banned from women's international rugby league’
We’re confident the article itself accurately and impartially informs readers of the news, reflecting a range of views both in favour and against the move.
We would like to thank you for taking the time to share your concerns with us, which we’ve discussed with the appropriate teams. This helps inform decisions about current and future content.
I can hardly believe it. They have changed the headline to say that the ban only applies to women's international competition, but not that it only applies to male players. I might have believed that the original headline was an honest mistake, but this response strengthens my suspicion that it is a deliberate deception.
I suppose I will have to complain again.