Media watchdog accused of peddling pro-LGBT bias

The press regulator has been accused of undermining women’s safety by promoting the “core principles of trans identity ideology” across the UK news industry.

Conrad Roeber says that in 2019 he was contracted by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) to assess “trends in editorial standards in coverage of transgender issues”, in light of its guidance that journalists should use “the pronouns the individual uses to describe themselves”.

But although the management consultant found that most editors deemed it “absurd” to refer to the rapist known as Karen White as “she”, he claimed IPSO forced him to refer to White with female pronouns in his report.

‘Ideological’

In an email sent to Roeber, IPSO’s former Head of Standards Charlotte Urwin reportedly boasted about “setting the world to rights” with Susie Green, who used to be the Chief Executive of pro-trans group Mermaids.

The consultant reported “a warm, almost cosy tone to their exchanges”, adding: “It felt less like neutral arbitration and more like an ideological alignment.”

Although Roeber interviewed representatives from Mermaids as part of his research, IPSO allowed them to be re-interviewed by another person after they complained he had “gender critical” views.

‘Bias’

Writing in The Spectator, Roeber warned that “calling a male ‘she’ – something actively encouraged by IPSO’s guidance” indicates acceptance of transgender ideology.

By the end of my time working for Ipso, it was hard to ignore the fact that it had clearly adopted the core principles of trans identity ideology.

He emphasised: “The question of whether a man who ‘identifies as a woman’ should be treated as female involves far more than personal freedom; it affects how we understand biology, as well as the safety of women.”

“By the end of my time working for Ipso, it was hard to ignore the fact that it had clearly adopted the core principles of trans identity ideology. It could not claim to be a neutral arbitrator. I was surprised it took so long for that apparent bias to show up, as it seemed to in Ipso’s recent ruling against The Spectator.”

An IPSO spokesman stated that the “Editors’ Code does not specify appropriate or acceptable terminology in this area” and “journalists and editors should take a view of how to meet the obligations under the Editors’ Code of Practice”.

Punishment

In December, The Spectator defended the freedom of speech of one of its journalists, following a reprimand from IPSO.

In an article, Gareth Roberts used the phrase “a man who claims to be a woman” when referring to transgender author and columnist Juno Dawson, who lodged a formal complaint to the media watchdog. It ruled the phrase to be “pejorative and prejudicial”.

The magazine published the judgment, as required by IPSO, but criticised the decision as an attack on free speech.

Michael Gove, Editor of The Spectator, stated: “Dawson may have a Gender Recognition Certificate but no piece of paper, whatever it may say, can alter biological reality. Parliament may pass laws, but they cannot abolish Dawson’s Y chromosome.”