New guide for gender issues

AUSTRALIAN media organisations will be subject to new guidelines for representing people with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics in its reporting.

The Australian Press Council – whose rules govern the work of media outlets, including the Mercury – released an advisory guideline on the topic yesterday.

It said journalists and editors should pay more attention to how people’s identity is reported and to better consider the potential implications of misrepresenting it.

In particular, it instructs media professionals:

TO allow a person to identify themselves and not assume the term they use.

WHEN conducting an interview, to ask a person which pronoun they use — for example, she, her and hers.

TO respect that some people use gender neutral pronouns, such as they, them or their.

TO “apologise if you use the wrong pronoun and move on”.

TO ask a person if it is OK to include in an article reference of their personal attributes or identity.

TO ask a trans or gender diverse person whether they consent to having their former name – or a photo of themselves before they transitioned – published.

The APC said the guidelines are intended to assist journalists and publications to improve standards of reporting to not exacerbate particular concerns faced by such people.

“This advisory guideline is intended to help publishers and journalists report on people with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics and the issues which affect them, with appropriate consideration of a range of sometimes sensitive factors,’’ a Press Council spokesperson said.

“The Press Council also aims to promote the understanding that unfair or inaccurate reporting about these individuals can have serious adverse mental health outcomes for them.”

It also said reference to a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity and/or sex characteristics should be relevant to a story and in the public interest.

The guidelines also instruct publications to take steps to avoid causing substantial offence, distress or prejudice, or a substantial risk to health or safety, unless doing so is sufficiently in the public interest.

The APC said the new advisory guideline was the culmination of 12 months’ research and consultation.

It said the advisory guideline was not binding on the council’s members, but provides guidance.