LETTER | Urgent need to raise Bernama's transgender reporting standards

LETTER | Justice for Sisters (JFS) is deeply concerned by the misgendering, use of discriminator terms to describe transgender women, violation of their privacy, and other discriminatory trends related to transgender news reporting by Bernama.

In July alone, the national news agency reported two transgender women-related news stories in English and Bahasa Melayu.

In both reports, Bernama used pejorative terms such as “pondan” (queer) and misgendered the women by using terms such as “lelaki berperwatakan perempuan” (men behaving like women), “transvestite”, and “male persons”.

Additionally, both reports also disclosed their names according to legal documents, thus violating their privacy.

As the source for most Malaysian news media, Bernama’s poor media standards have a ripple effect on the reporting by other media outlets, which generally already have poor LGBTQ+ reporting standards.

Both reports were republished without correction in at least 10 other Malay media outlets and three other English media outlets, reproducing stigma and discrimination against transgender women.

Justice for Sisters would like to stress that transgender women are women. Misgendering and deadnaming trans people deny their right to identity, self-determination, equality, non-discrimination, and privacy.

While the government maintains discriminatory legal barriers for transgender people and has yet to legally recognise transgender community’s gender identity, the media must refrain from reproducing discrimination against transgender people.

Instead, given the pervasive transphobia and denial of transgender people’s identity, the media has an important role in educating the public on, among others, the right and respectful terms to describe transgender people.

Media’s significant role

Research shows that the use of the correct pronouns, names, and gender identities to describe trans and gender-diverse people can save lives, increase trust, promote well-being, and prevent mental health issues, such as depression and suicidal ideation, among others.

A 2022 research with LGBTQ+ people in Malaysia indicated that mental health issues (including depression and suicidal ideation) are two times higher among the LGBTQ+ population than the general population.

A 2021 survey showed that the media played a significant role in intensifying hostility and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. Fifty-five percent of the 220 LGBTQ+ survey participants noted that they experienced increased strain on their mental health due to media sensationalism.

In addition, 59 percent reported experiencing one or more forms of discrimination.

As the national news agency, Bernama must hold itself to higher standards and ethics, including respecting the dignity of the persons named and/or represented in its reports.

All media outlets have a duty to uphold the dignity of transgender and all LGBTQ+ and gender-diverse people.

Trans-affirming language

When reporting on stories involving transgender people, it is important to avoid terms that are pejorative, discriminatory, and outdated terms.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.