The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is crying foul over the allegedly biased and derogatory segment aired over Fox News about Isis, the transgender contestant of the upcoming cycle of
America's Next Top Model.
“Fox News anchor Gregg Jarrett and
Us Weekly Editor-at-Large Ian Drew spent the segment gratuitously insulting the
America's Next Top Model contestant, using dehumanizing terminology, inaccurate and inappropriate pronouns and offensive references to her anatomy,” according to their statement.
The report on the unprecedented case of a transgender joining
Top Model drew flak from cause-oriented groups particularly for the way the anchor (Jarrett) openly laughed and ridiculed the situation and portrayed it as borderline freak show. It was also called malicious for claiming that
Top Model is using her to spur publicity.
“While laughing and joking, Jarrett mocked Isis' description of herself as a woman whose ‘cards were dealt differently,' and said, ‘That's an understatement!'” the statement said.
“Throughout the segment, Jarrett switched back and forth between male and female pronouns, and both Jarrett and Drew suggested that Isis "fooled" people by ‘blending in.' They went on to make crude remarks about her genitalia and the pitch of her voice.”
As it is a fairly sensitive area, reportage on topics such as sexuality and gender should be tempered with utmost care . And with relatively recent phenomenon and terms, it is the responsibilities of journalists to stay within the foundations of ethics, fairness, and humaneness, aside from sticking to facts. For one, switching back and fourth from one gender pronoun to another is not only making fun of the situation, it is also demeaning and even politically unsound.
This comes as no surprise to most people, however, as Fox News had been notorious for its bias and unethical reporting. In fact, the Project on Excellence in Journalism report of 2006 revealed that 68 percent of Fox cable stories contained personal opinions, as compared to MSNBC at 27 percent and CNN at 4 percent.
-Glenn L. Diaz, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source:
Miami Herald
(Image Courtesy of Fox News)